


Balancing Waves

by ribbonsofreilin (steph35243)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Isshu-chihou | Unova, M/M, Pokemon Journey, Sibling Love, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, but not so much an idiot that i wouldn't be able to stand him, help I've decided to write a monster, protective white/touko/hilda, satoshi is an idiot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-13 03:43:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 76,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14741387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steph35243/pseuds/ribbonsofreilin
Summary: A year after Team Plasma’s climb and fall from power, a new trainer with a Pikachu comes to the Unova region claiming to have encountered Zekrom. Black and White, Professor Juniper’s assistants, now must join this trainer on a journey to save Unova, and maybe save themselves along the way.AKA, my love letter to Generation V.





	1. Professor Juniper's Assistants

**Author's Note:**

> So.... this is my attempt at writing my own version of how I wish Pokemon Best Wishes had gone. There will be a big mix of the anime, the games, and even a bit of the manga series.
> 
> And while I liked Iris and Dent (Dent a little more than Iris if I'm being honest), they aren't going to have a big role in this. I've always wished the female companion in Best Wishes could be the female protagonist like they had in virtually every other freaking generation!
> 
> This is technically a rewrite of the anime Best Wishes BUT you don't have to have seen the anime at all! In fact it might better if you didn't... There are many many changes to it and with two sorta OC characters since game protagonists are a blank slate character and this is not based on Pokemon Adventures.
> 
> All you need is a working knowledge of the generation V games and its pokemon and people.
> 
> Anyways, if you're reading this, kudos to trying to figure out my strange mind and thanks for reading!

Three pokeballs flew into the air and opened up simultaneously. A bright white light shined and enveloped the room for an instant before three silhouettes appeared.

A young girl in a white lab coat stood aside as she watched the soon-to-be trainer decide which pokemon he will take on his journey.

The boy crouched down and looked from one to another, and then to the next. After a moment, the girl started fidgeting from impatience.

“So Shootie, do you have any ideas on who you’re choosing?” The girl asked.

Shootie didn’t answer, still intently observing the trio.

The girl tapped her arms, slightly annoyed that she was being ignored, and tried again, “how about Oshawott?” She said, pointing to the Sea Otter pokemon.

Shootie turned look at the water-type with a thoughtful expression, “the Champion’s pokemon huh?” He mumbled to himself, not noticing the slight flinch from the girl. The Oshawott stared up at Shootie with an unsure look and curled back a bit.

Next to water type, the other two pokemon, Tepig and Snivy, watched the interaction curiously. Tepig looked up at the new trainer with sleepy eyes while Snivy watched with indifference.

Shootie stood up, pulled out a camera, and snapped a quick photo of the three of them. “I’ve decided,” he announced, “I’m picking Snivy.”

The girl quickly straightened and put on a smile, “Okay!” She handed over the pokedex and the pokeballs while explaining that he can have up to six pokemon at a time as well as Snivy’s own pokeball.

With well wishes, she sent him on his way to begin his new pokemon journey.

Once he left, the girl sat on a chair in relief, glad to be done. An older lady wearing a lab coat entered the room and immediately saw her, “White, how did it go? Are you alright?” 

“Yeah,” the girl, White, responded, looking up as the lady approached. “Everything went well, Professor Juniper.”

“So how did it feel?” The Professor asked, “Your first time giving a trainer their new Pokemon?”

White huffed in annoyance, “he took such a long time to make a decision.”

Professor Juniper laughed, “ah yes, sometimes that happens, but it’s an important and exciting choice for a new trainer to make, and the first step of a greater journey. I seem to recall that you…” Juniper trailed, realizing that another person has also entered the room.

White jumped up and turned around in surprise as a young boy, also clad in a lab coat, walked into the room, shaking off pale blue gloves as he did so. He stopped, noticing the two ladies in the room.

“Black!” White cried, rushing to him, “you finally decided to show huh?”

“I…” Black trailed, looking like he didn’t want to be there, “I’m sorry I took so long…”

White immediately pulled him into a hug, “don’t worry about it,” she said, voice slightly muffled by Black’s shoulder.

“And how are you feeling?” Juniper asked kindly as the two of them pulled apart.

“I’m alright,” Black replied, “is there anything you need?”

Juniper hummed in thought before grinning widely, “nope! Just enjoy your day! I’ve got to go check on the new arrivals though, be back in a bit!” She waved as she walked out.

Black turned to go back down the hall when White spoke, “There was a trainer here getting his first pokemon today.”

Black froze for a moment, before asking, “who did he choose?”

White crossed her arms, “if you were there, you’d know,” she said, slightly accusing.

Black frowned, “You of all people should know that’s a bad idea.”

“Yeah yeah,” White waved it off, before grinning. “He chose Snivy.”

A sigh of relief escaped Black, “I’m glad he didn’t choose Bijou then.”

“I can’t believe you already named her. You might as well adopt her.”

“I can’t! She’s supposed to be a starter pokemon for trainers, and I’m just… well, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere,” said Black.

Hearing the somewhat mournful tones in Black’s voice, White got angry. “Are you just going to stay here for the rest of your life then? What happened to your love of traveling? Of catching and training lots of pokemon? You can’t just hide here for all eternity! Don’t do that to yourself, or your pokemon!” She snapped, frustration building into a yell.

“What happened to your dreams, little brother?”

White looked up, seeing that her brother looked away, and was trembling a little. White could make out the wetness in his eyes and she felt bad for yelling. Her frustration had been building with each and every day that the two of them stayed in Professor Juniper’s labs, hiding away from the rest of the world. She doesn’t regret sticking with her brother, but she can’t help but feel that there was more for him to do, more for both of them still.

She was still feeling the waves of regret that she didn’t realize that Black hadn’t said a word and had quickly disappeared, leaving her standing alone in the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters have their names in Japanese with the exception of the Professors (and of course Black and White themselves).   
> All pokemon use their english names with the exception of Emolga = Emonga simply because Emonga sounds better.
> 
> The region itself uses Unova instead of Isshu.


	2. Lightning Does Strike Twice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new trainer arrives with a pokemon never seen in the Unova region.

White was still in the lab foyer when Professor Juniper returned with three other people in tow.

“Ah! White!” Professor Juniper called, “You’re still here, that’s great! I want to introduce you to a friend of mine.” She gestured to an older looking man wearing a pale green shirt decorated with pineapples.

“This is Professor Oak, the head researcher in the Kanto region! Isn’t this exciting? We’ll learn lots about Kanto’s pokemon- pokemon we’ve never really seen before!”

Then Juniper moved to another lady who stood with a young boy who looked to be younger than White. He was holding something yellow in his arms.

“These are Professor Oak’s friends, Hanako and her son Satoshi.”

“Nice to meet you!” Satoshi spoke up, and then the bundle in his arms moved. White realized it was a pokemon – one that she has never seen in person before. Satoshi noticed her staring and said proudly, “this is my partner Pikachu.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen a real one,” White exclaimed. Pikachu watched her inquisitively.

“Yellow fur… electric type? Like my brother’s Molly?”

“Molly?” Satoshi asked incredulously. “Is that… is that a pokemon?”

White giggled, “Oh sorry, that’s just a nickname. I’ll show you later… or maybe even better, get my brother to show you. He is always a wonder to watch when he’s with his pokemon.”

Satoshi seemed to light up, “Is your brother a trainer?”

“We both are,” White said, grinning widely. It was refreshing to talk to another experienced trainer, especially one as enthusiastic about pokemon as Satoshi seemed to be.

Hanako cut in before Satoshi could get too carried away, “Wait Satoshi, you’re forgetting something.” She turned to White, “White was it? You’re Professor Juniper’s assistant?”

“Something like that,” White replied vaguely.

"Could you take a look at Satoshi’s Pikachu? There was an intense lightning storm earlier and now Pikachu keeps emitting sparks.”

“Sure,” said White, beckoning to the group and walking with Professor Juniper to the adjacent room, “come with us.”

* * *

In the lab grounds, Black sat on a bench watching the pokemon around him run about. His mind replayed his sister’s words.

_What happened to your dreams, little brother?_

He wasn’t being fair to White, staying in the labs, and avoiding people, especially the new trainers. He didn’t want to see them or for them to see him. It made him sound standoffish, but really, it wasn’t that he disliked the new trainers… it was more of a fear of them.

 _Exactly what are you afraid of?_ Great, even his thoughts were starting to sound as accusatory as White. Even though he knew his sister didn’t intend to sound mean, she just wanted to know what happened. Why was he withdrawing from everyone? Even from friends and family? Black wasn’t exactly an outgoing person to begin with, that was White, but he didn’t actively avoid them talking to them either. Now he was doing exactly that; avoiding anyone who wasn’t White, the Professor, or the other Aids in the labs.

Molly came swooping down and stared at Black with a tilt of her head, before jumping up on his shoulders and waving in his face.

Black snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at her. Molly dropped into his lap with a little squeal and he started absently scratching her neck, knowing she liked that.

“Sorry, was I lost in my head again?” He asked her.

“You were,” White’s voice suddenly piped up, startling them both causing Molly to scurry up to riding on Black’s head. She felt safest at the highest point.

“White!” He yelped, as he struggled to balance Molly’s weight when she settled in his hair. “Don’t do that!”

“We’ve been standing here for a few minutes now!” White shot back, and Black whipped his head around at hearing ‘we’, causing Molly to squeal in surprise and tug at his hair to stay on. He winced slightly at the slight pain that caused.

White was standing there, glaring at him in disapproval with a group of people Black has never seen before, with the exception of Professor Juniper.

“Now now you two,” Juniper said in placating tones, “I’m sorry we startled you, Black. We wanted to introduce you to friends of mine. They came all the way from the Kanto region. This is Professor Oak, Hanako, and her son, Satoshi.”

She gestured at Black, “and this is Black, our resident Pokemon caretaker.”

Professor Oak and Hanako greeted Black politely but Satoshi immediately jumped in and asked, “are you White’s brother? You look alike.”

“Ummm, yes,” Black answered, a little hesitant. “We’re twins.”

“That’s so cool!” Satoshi exclaimed, “I don’t have any siblings so it must be great to be a trainer with your sister!”

“White told you we were trainers?” He shot a glare at White, who waved apologetically, though the grin on her face told him she wasn’t really apologetic. He’ll have to talk to her about telling complete strangers stuff like that later.

“Yeah!” Satoshi said, turning Black’s attention back to him. Satoshi pointed at Molly, “Is that your pokemon? I’ve never seen one like it.”

Black bristled slightly at calling Molly an ‘it’ but decided that it was because Satoshi didn’t know her yet so there’s no need to take offense. He gently tapped Molly, telling her to come down and she floated to the ground, to the admiration of Satoshi. Molly was basking in his admiration, which motivated Black to introduce her.

“This is Molly,” said Black, and Molly puffed up her chest and arms proudly, showing off her winged arms. Satoshi immediately started gushing over how cool she looks and Black could feel himself relaxing.

That was odd. He hasn’t felt this calm around another person who wasn’t White in a long time.

Very odd.

“Hey Black, is Molly strong?”

That was a loaded sentence when spoken by a trainer, and any experienced trainer would recognize what it meant. Black knew where this was headed, and yet, he didn’t feel the usual spike of terror that a pokemon battle brings.

In fact, he was feeling… anticipation. A calm determination but mixed with excitement.

He was feeling emotions that he never thought he’d have again for a pokemon battle, and suddenly he felt brave enough to try again.

Black turned to Molly, “what do you think? Do you want to try?”

Molly looked surprised for a split second, before nodding in determination. Black nodded back in acknowledgement.

“Then it’s settled, we’ll battle you.”

Satoshi pumped his fist in excitement, and turned to ask Professor Juniper if there’s a battle court nearby. Juniper was immediately startled before she manages to say that there was one and began leading everyone to it. Professor Oak remarked that he was interested in seeing a battle with a Unovan pokemon while Hanako looked to be simply unsurprised at her son’s insistence on a battle.

Then a Pikachu appeared and when Satoshi introduced the Pikachu as his number one partner and not just his pokemon, Black was beginning to realize that this was something different; that Satoshi was _someone_ different, and his mind was screaming that he needed to start paying attention.

White watched Black and Satoshi’s ensuing match with a thoughtful look. A plan began to form in her mind.

* * *

The Pikachu was unable to produce any electric attacks.

Black did in fact notice that little problem during the battle, but he didn’t hold back because of it. It was a battle after all and even though it meant probably some of Pikachu’s moves are blocked, neither trainer would stop the fight unless Satoshi withdrew. Satoshi refused to do that, and so Black had to respect his decision and continue. Pikachu was also insistent on continuing to fight despite being unable to use his electric attacks, and so Black didn’t stop, he didn’t even hesitate to keep commanding Molly to use her attacks.

Molly won, but Black was glad she didn’t overwhelm Pikachu with too much damage. Satoshi rushed back into the labs with the Professors to see what was going on with his Pikachu, but not before thanking Black for the match.

The rest of them followed, even Molly came along riding on Black’s head once again, though perhaps her reason was simply out of sheer curiosity.

Apparently, there was an electrical storm that overwhelmed Pikachu with so much electricity that he went into an overload state and became unable to use electric attacks.

Black and White exchanged glances, an electric storm?

Suddenly, the lab equipment started sputtering and glitching and Pikachu started sparking erratically. Black immediately gasped out loud when he saw something out of the corner of his eyes and ran to the front windows of the lab, Molly had to grab onto his hair at the sudden movement.

The lab went dark and Professor Juniper immediately asked White to restore the power. White hurried out to do so, and noticed Bijou peeking in just before leaving.

Juniper turned around, “Black? What are you doing?” Black was standing at the windows, seemingly frozen. She joined him there and gasped as well at the sight, drawing the rest of the group’s attention. But then Satoshi quickly turned back to Pikachu when he heard Pikachu screaming in pain.

White ran back into the room, “The power is not coming back on,” she cried, and then she noticed her stock-still brother and immediately made a beeline for him. “Black? BLACK?!”

Outside the lab, it was raining and storming, and the sky was so dark it looked like nighttime. But what caught her attention was a familiar looking shadow hidden in the clouds, glowing in blue hues and red eyes. She looked over at Black and it seemed like her brother was in a trance, his hazel eyes stared unblinkingly at the storm, and his back standing as straight as a rod. Molly looked down with scared eyes and buried herself in her brother’s hair, causing it to stand up in different directions. The dark room lit up in flashes over and over, casting eerie silhouettes.

The overall effect it gave made it look like Black was inside the electric storm itself.

In the lab, Pikachu was still screaming from the shock of electricity and Satoshi was panicking so he grabbed his partner, getting shocked in the process. Immediately when that happened, two things happened: the lightning and clouds vanished, and Black snapped out of his trance, blinking and rubbing his eyes.

Hanako frantically ran over to check on her son and Pikachu who were both sprawled together on the floor with Pikachu still emitting small sparks. Satoshi slowly sat up, reassuring his mom that he was all right.

Bijou came running into the room, tugging on Black’s pants and the boy immediately smiled and scooped up Bijou. “I’m okay,” he told the Oshawott. White was relieved that her brother seemed to be fine after that string of strange events.

Professor Oak turned to Juniper and asked in a serious tone, “Was this all because of that thundercloud?”

Juniper nodded, looking to be in deep thought, “it must be caused by one of Unova’s legendary pokemon. It was too unnatural to be anything else.”

“Do you have a guess as to whom it might be, Professor?”

“I can do more than that. I am almost certain that it must be the legendary pokemon Zekrom, said to be the guardian of this region, protecting…” she looked over at both of her assistants, “…pokemon and people alike.”

“Legend also says that Zekrom is a divine being representing the sky and its bolts represent the hammer of justice,” Professor Juniper explained further.

“That must be what I saw in that cloud!” Satoshi exclaimed, “There was a shadow of something in there back at the docks, but I couldn’t see exactly what it was.”

“I’m almost positive it must be Zekrom,” said Professor Juniper with a firm nod.

Professor Oak was intrigued by the explanation, “This is definitely worth further investigation.”

“Wait… Pikachu! Are you okay?” Satoshi said, immediately looking to his partner.

Pikachu sat up, and then cheered because he was perfectly fine. He was even able to produce electricity again!

Satoshi was so relieved that he tested Pikachu’s electricity twice… on himself.

Black, White, and Professor Juniper watched in semi states of shock and amusement as Satoshi took on the blasts from his Pikachu head-on, before collapsing from exhaustion and the shocks. Hanako just shook her head exasperatedly, used to her son’s antics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: Japanese -> Dub
> 
> Satoshi = Ash  
> Hanako = Delia
> 
> Reason why the Region Professors are not translated:
> 
> Araragi = Juniper  
> Ookido = Oak
> 
> They don't really roll off the tongue well...


	3. Mysteries of the Twins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Satoshi wants to know more about twins but ends up with more questions than answers.

Satoshi was never one for noticing the atmosphere. Usually he was too focused on completing his goal to be a Pokemon Master, and for that, he needed to concentrate all his attention and energy on his pokemon partners and getting the gym badges.

But right now, he was on vacation with the Professor and his mom, something he has not done in a long time, and aside from the excitement of seeing a new region, he didn’t have anything else to do at the moment.

Which was why this whole day had been very confusing: first the appearance of the Rocket Gang yet again (seriously, how did they find him all the way out here?), then the appearance of a weird lightning, and then meeting Professor Juniper’s assistants. That last one was even stranger because Satoshi usually never formally met with any of the Professor’s aids or assistants, with maybe the exception of his old friend Takeshi, and even stranger was that these assistants looked to be only a few years older than him.

And White said they were both pokemon trainers, so why were they working in the professor’s lab instead of out and traveling with their partners?

That was the biggest mystery in his opinion because Satoshi always thought trainers were easier to understand, and he had to admit it got even more interesting when he met White’s brother Black. He could tell the other boy was a good trainer, maybe he could even be a strong one, though it was hard to figure that out during the chaos of Pikachu’s electricity problem, and the fact that Black used only a couple of moves in the actual battle. Satoshi could admit that in all the excitement, he wasn’t able to focus on what was going on, other than the fact that his poor partner was in a lot of pain because of a legendary pokemon’s power.

And yet, why was Zekrom here? Satoshi has seen glimpses of legendaries, even interacted with a few but this attack literally came out of the blue and was gone as quick as it had arrived.

What did it all mean?

Well, there was one thing Satoshi knew, it was that Unova was full of amazing pokemon and amazing mysteries, and if he wanted any of them answered, he would have to journey around to get them.

Just thinking about going on a new journey caused excitement and adrenaline to coarse through his body, so when Satoshi brought up the possibility at dinner, he was ecstatic to hear that the Professor and his mom both agree it was a good idea.

Then Hanako asked him what he thought of White and Black as being possibly helpful to him. Satoshi decided that he could learn more about Unova if he asked and decided to go find them. His mom let him go, waving him off to return to the labs.

Satoshi was about to turn at the hall when he suddenly bumped into White.

“Oh! I’m sorry,” White said immediately, her arm out in case Satoshi lost his balance from the slight impact. The brunette was still wearing her lab coat, but thankfully, she wasn’t holding anything important in her hands that could be knocked down.

“Hi White! I was just about to come see you,” Satoshi said cheerfully.

“Pi-Pikachu!” Pikachu also greeted from atop his usual perch on Satoshi’s shoulder.

White gave a small laugh, “What a coincidence! Me too!”

“Really?” Satoshi asked, “Was there something you need from me?”

“Well… come with me, I wanted to ask you something,” White said, gesturing for Satoshi to follow. She led him to another room with chairs and sofas strewn about and they each took a seat.

White seemed to be a little hesitant to say anything first so Satoshi took the initiative and asked, “So what is it?”

White tapped the table a little, drumming it with her fingers and then took a deep breath, “Okay, I don’t have any easy way to ask, but I was wondering if… well, you’re a trainer who’s new to this area, I’m assuming you’ll want to travel through Unova. Would you be taking on the gym challenges? Challenging the League?”

Satoshi was surprised to hear the question, since he only decided a short while ago that he would, but his excitement won over and he responded immediately that yes, he’s decided to travel through Unova and collect the gym badges.

“I want to achieve my dream of becoming a Pokemon Master,” Satoshi explained, “So yeah, the Unova League would be the best place to go do that.”

“I understand,” White replied, “but what I wanted to ask you is not exactly that. It’s… can we join you? Black and I, can we join you on your journey?”

Satoshi lit up in excitement at that prospect, “Both of you want to come?” He loved having people travelling with him. It wasn’t just safer, it would also stave off boredom for sure and the twins seemed like interesting people.

“Well, he doesn’t know it yet, and I have to go talk to him, but I think he’ll come around to the idea.”

Satoshi decided not to comment on that; if anyone knew Black, it would probably be his sister.

“Sure!” Satoshi exclaimed, “Traveling is much more fun with friends.”

“Great, then it’s settled. Are you leaving soon?” White asked.

“Yes, in the morning! This is going to be fun. Now I can’t wait to get started!” Satoshi enthused, and Pikachu shared that sentiment with the same level of enthusiasm in his cry.

White couldn’t help but smile, Satoshi’s enthusiasm was infectious, and she was becoming aware of that fact, “Okay, now what did you want to ask me?”

“Oh,” Satoshi immediately calmed as he tried to recall what he wanted to say to White earlier. Then he was sheepish, “I was actually hoping you or Black could tell me more about Unova before I left, actually. But, since you’re coming with me…”

White laughed slightly in surprise. “I see, well, he and I can tell you so much more about Unova when we travel together,” She stood up and stretched.

“Well, I’m going to go see my dear brother, he’s probably in the pokemon grounds, do you want to come with me?”

“Awesome!” Satoshi said, also jumping up, Pikachu leapt back to his shoulders from the table. “I’ll get to see some more pokemon right? Then yes!”

“I thought you would,” White said teasingly, “let’s go then.”

* * *

The lab grounds have several terrains as well as a forest not very far from the entrance. As Satoshi and Pikachu trailed after White, he was distracted by pokemon that were still wandering around, even as it slowly got darker and darker outside. He wished he had a pokedex to help him identify them, knowing that the current one he was using would not be able to work at all in this new region.

White was silent as well, and they came upon the entrance just at the forest edge. It was too thick and dark for Satoshi to see anything beyond the first few trees, but then he heard the sounds emanating from the forest. It sounded like roars and crashes were going on – a battle going on?

He nearly barrelled into White when she suddenly came to a stop, and he could see from the side that her eyes had grown wide. She quickly pulled him behind a tree, and motioned for him to shush.

Satoshi nodded in acknowledgement and the two of them hid there, listening to the sounds of roars, grunts, booms, and the trees seem to be shaking. Then it was silent.

“I don’t believe it…” White whispered, shock clear in her voice.

“What? What’s going on?” Satoshi asked softly.

White put a finger up to Satoshi’s face, “You have to stay here. Black probably wouldn’t want anyone to see this.”

Before Satoshi can ask, “See what?” White was already picking her way through the trees and bushes, as quietly as she could, and left the two of them alone.

He was left with the quiet buzzing of the forest, but it was just him and Pikachu now, no pokemon wondering around either. His curiosity was burning, and Satoshi knew Pikachu felt the same so the two of them nodded in mutual agreement and also began to pick their way as quietly as possible through the bushes in the same direction.

Satoshi heard voices, and quickly found a tree trunk to hide behind, but he could see White from behind, talking to a figure also wearing a lab coat. He realized that the other was Black.

“-training again,” White was saying, her voice rang in the clearing occupied by the siblings.

Black seemed to be sighing, “I’m not, I just wanted to check up on them.”

“Oh don’t even try to lie to me dear brother,” White said with false sweetness.

“What do you want?” Black sounded annoyed, bluntly changing the subject.

“To see if you felt what I felt today.” White retorted, “And I think you do. So I’ve decided: You and I are leaving the lab with Satoshi tomorrow morning.”

“Does Satoshi know about this?” asked Black, dryly.

White just laughed, “I’ve already asked, and the answer is yes.”

Black was silent, staring at the ground as though it would give him all the answers. From the dark, Satoshi could make out a round object bouncing up and down in his hand – a pokeball maybe?

White broke the silence, “Black,” she said in softer tones, “I can see that meeting Satoshi has changed something in you, and you being out here just proved that I’m right. Somewhere inside you, you want this. You want answers. You want to be out there again. And you know we have to leave eventually: Satoshi is your best chance, no, this is _our_ best chance. You can tell too right? He’s different from other trainers.”

Black moved his arm up to his face, then back down in some sort of aborted movement, but he looked up at his sister this time. From the distance he was at, Satoshi couldn’t tell what kind of expression he was giving White. Black didn’t seem like a very talkative person compared to his twin.

Black seemed to be sighing again, and coming to a conclusion when he finally spoke again, “Fine, but how is this going to work? And… can I bring Bijou?” The last words were muttered almost a bit shyly.

White seemed to not respond right away, in surprise maybe? But as she spoke, Satoshi could hear fondness in her voice. “You’re lucky I know you so well. I’ve already figured it all out, like what we’re going to wear and bring and stuff, I’ll show you everything tonight. And as for Bijou…”

From her pocket, White took out an object that she pressed and enlarged it. It was a pokeball. She tossed it to Black who caught it with ease, despite the surprise on his face.

He stared at the ball, and then opened it. Out popped a little blue pokemon that Satoshi doesn’t recognize, but he remembered seeing it briefly yesterday when it wandered into the labs during the blackout.

The little blue pokemon was obviously overjoyed to see Black, and Black seemed to return the feeling as he immediately scooped it up and hugged it.

“Congratulations Black on getting your new starter pokemon,” White said, rather sarcastically.

Black laughed, a soft kind of laughter that startled Satoshi and Pikachu. It was a nice tinkling sound. Satoshi would have never expected that, he thought it would be similar to White’s laughter, which was bright and fairly loud. Her brother’s laughter sounded round and breathy but no less genuine.

When his laughter faded, Black smiled, a bright kind of smile now, his hazel eyes shining even in the darkened forest. “Thanks sis.”

White immediately stepped forward and engulfed Black, and the pokemon in his arms, in an all-encompassing hug.

Suddenly, Satoshi felt less comfortable about peeking at a sibling bonding moment, and he decided to return to the spot White left him in.

“Traveling with them is going to be an interesting one, huh Pikachu?” Satoshi said softly to his companion.

“Pi-pikachu,” Pikachu agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Japanese -> English Dub translation:
> 
> Rocket Gang -> Team Rocket (I may stick with TR instead, but we'll see)
> 
> *The term Pokemon Master has never been really defined in canon. It could mean Satoshi will become the Champion, or the trainer who has experienced everything (In which case, that will be an impossible goal, kinda like how the anime does it...) Personally, my idea is that Pokemon Master means one who knows and understands all the pokemon there is, but you never know  
> *Also, it is really rare that I will ever write in Satoshi's POV so... consider yourself lucky because it may never happen again


	4. Leaving Nuvema

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey starts anew.

Professor Aurea Juniper has never given thought to having kids. In fact, she admired Rinko for having twins, but never thought she would have to worry about taking care of any of them. Most of the ones she encountered were aspiring trainers who only needed their starter and the right tools to get started before she sent them on their way. In her free time, she was always immersed in her research and there was always something way more exciting going on to even think about a family.

Besides, she was also quite young, it was much too soon to even think about such things. 

But when Rinko’s kids came to her, Aurea immediately panicked on how to even take care of them, until she realized they were adolescent children and not toddlers who required babysitting. She also knew them quite well already and that Black tended to withdraw and be self-sufficient, but White was no slouch either when it came to hard work and easily knew how to take care of her brother.

Well, take care of her brother in all the ways that mattered. Black wouldn’t come out of his shell for days in the lab, and White was the only one who could get through to him. Those were the days that both Aurea and White wished they knew what happened to Black that caused him to be a former shell of himself.

The day that Professor Oak and his friends from Kanto arrived was a game changer. Not only did the young trainer Satoshi bring with him a rare pokemon, but also even got Black to battle with him, something Aurea had thought at one point he may never do again.

Even more curious is the seemingly random lightning bolts from Zekrom. There were rumours about Zekrom appearing before, but never with such decisive energy, and why target her lab?

As Professor Oak said, this deserved further investigation. She had long theorized that most legendary pokemon have had a hand in the origins of both the pokemon and the world that exists as it is today, given the legends that surrounded their region's explosive beginnings.

After the storm subsided, Black immediately disappeared from the lab, though she suspected he’s in the lab grounds with the pokemon again. Part of her wanted to go and question Black about what’s been happening with him, but she’s left the subject well enough alone that she suspects it’s one of the reasons that Black was willing to be around her.

White though, asked to speak to her about possibly traveling with Satoshi. Aurea felt that if White could get Black to agree, this might be the biggest break they could have in getting Black out from his withdrawn self. And if they are going then could the Oshawott from the lab join them?

As if Bijou would go with anyone else. The Oshawott adored Black to the point of possible infatuation. Though Aurea suspects it’s more that the pokemon viewed Black as a parent, even more than her actual parents. Pokemon behavior has always been so fascinating and much easier to fathom than human children.

White has always been so independent, so headstrong, so Aurea wasn’t surprised by her initiative in finally leaving the lab. The girl had noticed the change that overcame her brother when he interacted with Satoshi, and so she swiftly made the move to change things up.

In fact she planned it so thoroughly that Aurea suspected that White had been hoping for this for a long time. It showed the next morning when she went to go see the twins in their room and did a double take, because White had planned quite the traveling outfits for both of them.

“Do you like my clothes?” White asked, grinning when she opened the door.

She patted down a pure black coat that she was wearing. It covered her from top to just above her knees, but the front was button less so Aurea could see a light pink shirt peeking out in front, and a pair of long white baggy jeans and black boots to match on the bottom. In fact, White had let her brown hair down completely and it fluffed around her head. A single yellow butterfly clip was the only accessory pulling a small pile of her hair back. Aurea didn’t realize that the girl actually had so much hair as she watched it flow around with every movement she made.

“Certainly a change from your usual style,” Aurea finally commented. “Where’s your brother?”

“Oh, just a second. He’s in the bathroom and I have to finish his hair,” White strode over to the door at the side of the room and slipped inside. Voices could be heard from the crack under the door.

Aurea looked around the small room, noting that the place was now mostly packed up. Bijou was lying in a pile of blankets asleep but the desks were bare and the beds were made with Black’s meticulous neatness. When the siblings came, they left most personal belongings with their mother. Now, White has probably packed what little they’ve got left to take on the journey. Aurea could see two nearly identical grey and yellow backpacks stashed in a corner of the room, the only differences being that the pocket colours were inverted from each other.

There was a crash, some more noises filtered out from the bathroom. Aurea could make out both twins’ voices.

“Hold still!” 

“Ouch! Do you have to put that one in?”

“Yes I do now hold still!”

Another crash. Aurea winced slightly and called out, “Everything all right in there?”

“Just a moment!” Came White’s voice. Then the crashing stopped, and the door opened.

Aurea did a double take. “T- Black, that… is that you?” She stammered in surprise, looking wide-eyed.

Black absently tugged at his hair, looking absolutely shy and uncertain, “y-yeah,” he mumbled, one arm pressed down as though to block anyone from seeing his chest.

White had brushed out his cropped bangs so it looked slightly longer and the chestnut brown colour even glowed a little from the attention. The sides of his hair were clipped with yellow hairpins to keep some of the hair from falling to his face. Black wore a white short-sleeved thin sweater with dark pocket lines. Like White’s coat, the sweater also had an open front and underneath it was a light blue top. His bottom half consisted of a charcoal grey pair of shorts, and pure white boots. There was a thin chain around his neck that held two half-hidden charms under his shirt.

Black looked like the inverted version of White’s outfit, yet it was much more revealing than hers. 

“I figured, go big you know?” said White proudly, dusting imaginary dust off her palms, and went to grab their backpacks.

“It’s embarrassing though,” Black complained, a light blush adorning his cheeks, but he accepted the grey backpack with a yellow pokeball design on it. “Why can’t I wear something more blue? Or a cap?”

“It’ll be too much, and you’re lucky I didn’t try to change your hair much,” said White and also added, “and besides, you’ll look like Satoshi since he’s already wearing a blue jacket and a cap.”

Black pouted, but his sister had a point.

Aurea knew that the male twin tended to favour wearing more baggy and covered clothing, but she never realized just how thin the boy really was under all of his usual clothes. It was clear now that it was no wonder that White was really protective of her little brother even though they were born only ten minutes apart. Black looked like a Timburr could easily snap him in two.

When they headed down to her lab, Aurea went to unlock a drawer where she had been safekeeping the twins’ pokedexes and then handed them over. Black’s hand hovered with hesitance over the pokedex before finally taking it.

“Morning!” A voice called, and Satoshi entered the room along with Professor Oak and his mother.

The twins gave a small wave in greeting. Black stepped forward, holding his sleepy Oshawott in his arms, and thanked Satoshi for letting them come along.

Satoshi waved it off, “It’s no problem at all! I’m really excited to travel with you!" 

“Now that we’re all here,” said Aurea, slipping back into Professor Juniper mode.

She turned to her trusty trainer cart and pulled out a new empty pokedex and showed it to Satoshi. “Satoshi, this is for you: the Unovan pokedex, which will help you identify the pokemon in this region.”

“Thank you so much!” Satoshi said, happily taking the ‘dex.

Juniper rummaged around and also produced five empty pokeballs for Satoshi to take, knowing that he only brought his Pikachu.

“As you probably already know, you can only have up to six pokemon with you. I can hold any extra pokemon you might catch here in my lab,” Professor Juniper explained and Satoshi nodded in affirmation.

“Oh!” Professor Juniper suddenly realized, turning to Black and White. “Do you have enough pokeballs? Did you bring your pokemon?”

“I packed enough of them for both of us,” White replied, “and Black has Bijou,” she continued, gesturing at the bundle in Black’s arms.

“That’s the one I saw yesterday!” Satoshi exclaimed, and immediately pulled up his Pokedex to scan Bijou.

_Oshawott, the sea otter pokemon, Oshawott attacks and defends using the scalchop that can be removed from its stomach._

“Bijou... say hi,” Black said, looking down at the little pokemon. 

“Osha?” Bijou perked up and blinked at Satoshi and Pikachu. “Oshawott!” Bijou cried, and jumped up from Black’s arms and climbed on his shoulder.

“Awwwww, it’s so cute!” Hanako gushed.

“So that’s one of Unova’s starting pokemon,” said Oak in fascination.

“Bijou is a girl,” Black informed them. “And she’s my partner now. 

“So Oshawott is one of the starting pokemon?” Satoshi asked, “Who are the others?”

Juniper leaned back to her cart again, “Well, a trainer came by yesterday and already took Snivy… so we only have this one still in the lab.” She released a ball, and out came a little orange and black pokemon.

“Tep-pig!” The little pokemon cried when it appeared.

“Whoa, so cool!” Satoshi enthused, reaching for his pokedex again.

_Tepig, the fire pig pokemon. Normally, fire shoots out of Tepig’s snout, but it shoots out smoke instead when it’s feeling ill._

Black suddenly spoke up, still staring at the Tepig, “Wait, White, who are you starting with?”

White was also looking at the Tepig with a faraway look, but she shook herself out of it at Black’s question. She smirked and took out a pokeball, “I’m taking this one,” she said and threw the ball out.

“Come out Kuro!”

When the light faded, a purple pokemon stood up on its hind legs, watching them with sharp green eyes. Black’s eyes widened at the pokemon, “K-Kuro?!” He exclaimed.

“Yup! I think it’s a fitting name for her,” said White, still smirking at her brother.

Black flailed his arms in helpless surprise, “b-but, when did you get her?”

“Not too long ago,” White shrugged. “I was thinking she could be my new partner.”

Satoshi turned his pokedex upon the new arrival in fascination.

_Purrloin, the devious pokemon. Purrloin fools people into letting their guard down so it can steal their possessions. When angered, it uses its claws to fight back._

“That also reminds me,” Professor Juniper suddenly spoke, snapping her fingers as though to jumpstart her memory.

“I have something that was supposed to be given to you, Black,” this caused the brunet to look up from observing White’s Purrloin.

Juniper went towards the countertops lining one wall and pulled out what looked to be an orange cylinder with an oval object inside 

When she turned around, everyone was staring in intrigue at the item in her arms. White and Black seemed to be in shock while Satoshi eagerly comes over to ask if the item was what he thought it was.

“You’re right, it’s a Pokemon egg,” Juniper answered and crossed over to deposit it in Black’s arms. Black and Bijou peered at the egg inside in wide awe.

“I think you should take this on your journey,” she said, patting the both of them with affection.

“W-why… where did it come from?” Black stammered, finally looking up from the egg.

“It’s from the Dragon Village,” Professor Juniper replied.

“There’s a dragon village?!” Satoshi exclaimed in excitement, “That’s amazing! Can we go there, White? Black? I want to see a dragon village!”

“Pi-Pikachu!” Pikachu announced his excitement as well.

“Sure,” said White, “but it’s pretty far away from here.”

“Awww,” Satoshi said, quickly sagging dejected.

White patted him consolingly, “We’ll go there eventually. Black is curious about his egg too, but he’ll take care of it, won’t you?”

“Yes of course,” said Black, holding up the egg and assessing it. “If it’s from the Dragon Village, then it must be a dragon-type pokemon… and those take a long time to hatch and even longer to take care of… yes Satoshi, we’ll definitely go and see them.” He swung his bag out and began the process of carefully lowering the egg into the largest pocket. He would have to be careful with his pack for a while.

“Yes!” Satoshi perked up again, White made an amused face at how quickly their new companion bounces back from dejection.

Hanako clapped her hands together, “This is so exciting! I bet you can’t wait to get going then, Satoshi.”

No sooner did the words leave her mouth when another bright light flashed in front of them all and a familiar yellow and grey mouse pokemon suddenly appeared.

“Molly?!” Black and White both jumped in surprise.

“Hey that’s the one I battled yesterday!” said Satoshi, taking out his pokedex to scan.

_Emonga, the sky squirrel pokemon, Emonga lives in trees and uses its cape-like membrane to glide through the air._

Molly the Emonga looked displeased at the trainers, “Emon, Mon!” She said, gesturing with her arms at Black.

“You… want to come too?” Black asked, “but… should I really be taking two pokemon?” 

“Why not?” Satoshi asked, crouching down to see Molly up close. “She’s yours isn’t she? And she wants to come.”

But Black still looked hesitant, even as the electric squirrel continued to stare with pleading eyes.

White finally spoke up, “I think Molly should be okay to take with us.”

Professor Juniper also agreed, “There’s no rule that says a trainer can’t start with more than one pokemon.”

“Hmmm… okay,” Black said finally, and crouched down to Molly. “Want to come with us Molly?”

“Emon!” Molly immediately nodded. Bijou jumped off Black’s shoulders to greet her and Kuro and then Pikachu did the same.

“This is going to be so awesome!” Satoshi cried, nearly bursting in anticipation as he watched the group of pokemon interact with each other. Pikachu and Molly cackled with electricity together in a friendly greeting.

The sun was already peeking above the trees, indicating it was going to be a sunny bright day.

Satoshi, Black, and White stood outside at the gates of the lab, ready to say good-bye.

Hanako and Oak were talking to Satoshi, making sure he had everything he needed and reminding him to call. Juniper looked over at her two assistants. She will miss them, but she was glad they’re going on this journey. She had a feeling it would help the two of them to realize their potential.

“Both of you, feel free to call me at any time okay?”

The twins nodded, though Black still had an uncertain look in his eyes so she addressed him directly. “Are you worried?”

“Not really,” said Black, though he didn’t sound convinced. “I’m just- it’s not really a big deal. I mean, we’re doing this to help Satoshi learn more about Unova.”

White tutted, “it’s more than that dear brother.”

Black was confused, “We’re… traveling?” He guessed.

“That’s right! We’re finally traveling and we’re doing it together. There’s a difference,” said White.

“Osha,” Bijou said in agreement from Black’s arms.

“You’re right, this is our first time doing this together,” Black said. He sounded more reassured now.

“Your sister is right, don’t forget that your friends and family will always support you,” said Professor Juniper. Then she pushed the twins’ shoulders gently towards Satoshi. “Now go on all of you! Your journey awaits!”

“Black! White! Let’s go!” Satoshi cheered, jumping up and down with Pikachu. Then Pikachu spring-boarded off his trainer’s shoulder and took off. Satoshi immediately followed suit, a big goofy smile on his face.

“Satoshi, wait up!” White called, immediately gearing up to run after the duo.

Black stared in disbelief at his new traveling companions before snapping out of it and also breaking into a run while clutching Bijou and his backpack straps securely. Molly jumped off his head giggling as she flew swiftly down the road and bounced with the wind.

Professor Juniper, Professor Oak, and Hanako watched fondly as the three trainers running down the road, the joy evident on their faces to be out and exploring the world.

This should be good, Professor Juniper thought to herself. The twins will be okay.

They’ve got each other and now Satoshi after all.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> White names her Purrloin Kuro which means... Black.
> 
> -
> 
> I know I said I update weekly but there's no set date right now cause my schedule is a bit of a mess.
> 
> Things will start picking up though now that we're finally getting on the road!
> 
> Reminder: All pokemon are in their English names EXCEPT Emolga is Emonga due to author's preference.


	5. Meet Pidove and Team Rocket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The adventure starts off with a desperate struggle.

“Satoshi! Where are you going?” White called as she ran after the trainer and pokemon duo.

“To find a pokemon!” Satoshi called back and then he spoke to Pikachu. “What do you think will be the first we’ll get? Bug? Grass? Water?”

“Pika!” Pikachu responded with enthusiasm.

“Geez,” White groaned, finally catching up. “I haven’t run this much in such a long time, just what is the rush? You’ll see lots of pokemon just about everywhere.”

Satoshi looked slightly sheepish, “Sorry, I’m just so excited. Plus, Black already has three and I feel like I’m already behind.”

White was taken aback, “He only has two actually, but you want to compete with him?”

“Well, not really, I just want to find out who will be my first Unovan pokemon,” Satoshi said, with a shrug.

White had a slightly exasperated look, “I get that you’re excited Satoshi, but did you forget something?”

“What?” Satoshi stared at her in blank confusion.

“We’ve left Black behind!” White said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

“I’m here,” said Black, suddenly appearing from behind a tree. He set Bijou down on the floor and she immediately started investigating a patch of flowers with Pikachu coming over and watching her with a sense of fascination.

White peered behind her brother, “Wait where’s Molly?”

Black slowly brought out a pokeball, “I… recalled her.” He said quietly.

White’s jaw dropped upon seeing the pokeball. Satoshi felt like he was missing something in all of this so he asked the siblings, “What’s wrong with that?”

White shook her head, “Black doesn’t want to keep his pokemon in a pokeball. I’m just a little surprised that’s all.”

“Molly was feeling a little tired,” Black explained, “Traveling seems to be more stressful on pokemon than when they hang around the lab since they are more familiar with it.”

Then he smiled at Pikachu, “You seem to enjoy traveling outside of a pokeball though, right? That’s pretty uncommon,” he said to the electric mouse.

“Pika Pika!” Pikachu nodded happily.

Satoshi and White watched in astonishment as Black sat down and extended an arm to Pikachu. Pikachu stepped forward and allowed him to gently pat his head and ears and then the tail. Bijou came over as well, holding some flowers in her hands. 

“Osha~!” The little sea otter sang out. She stared up at her trainer for a moment and then back at the flowers she was holding as though in thought about something. She hopped onto his shoulder and then climbed onto his head and deposited the flowers there. Then she sat down and began tugging at Black’s hair.

“Bijou, what are you doing?” Black asked mildly, though he didn’t stop playing with Pikachu at all and stayed quite still while Bijou seemed to be hard at work threading flowers into his hair.

Satoshi stared at the scene in fascination. “Wow, Black,” he exclaimed, “That’s amazing! You already get along with Pikachu! Usually it takes some time and Pikachu doesn’t like how most people pet or squeeze him when they first meet.”

“Chaaaaa.” Pikachu purred contently under the petting.

Black smiled softly and said, “Pokemon should be treated with gentle care and respect,” he said, and slowly retracted his arm from Pikachu. The yellow mouse sighed happily and returned to Satoshi’s shoulder with a happy giggle.

White had to restrain herself from squealing. It was even harder because Black had flowers woven into his hair by Bijou and her oblivious brother didn’t even realize they were still on his head.

A grumbling sound could be heard. Satoshi recoiled in embarrassment upon realizing it was his own stomach. Pikachu giggled at his trainer before a second noise echoed from his own stomach and he realized he was hungry too.

Black stood up slowly to keep Bijou from falling off his head and motioned for Satoshi to follow as he walked to a tree that looked to be filled with apples.

White also recognized the tree. “It’s full of apples! The top ones should be the sweetest, let’s get some!” Pikachu cried out happily when he heard that the apples were edible and leaped at the tree, running up to pick the fruits and drop them to Satoshi. White released Kuro who also climbed the tree with ears and used her sharp claws to drop the apples to White’s waiting arms.

Black caught an apple and then reached up to his head to pick Bijou up and give her an apple, which she started munching on happily.

Night was beginning to approach as the trio and their partners ate the apples and watched as the sky turned dark. Black also released Molly for a little while to give her some of the apples.

“Unova huh?” Satoshi mused as he watched the stars begin to appear in the sky. “Even the stars in the sky look different. I’m going to be traveling in a whole new place, isn’t this exciting Pikachu?”

“Pikaaa!” Pikachu agreed, and then noticed a shooting star and pointed at it excitedly.

“Oh a shooting star!” White said, also looking up at the sky. “That can only mean good things!”

“Yeah, something great might happen,” said Satoshi optimistically. “Maybe we’ll meet Zekrom again or any other mysterious pokemon in this region.”

“You want to see everything huh?” White asked, shooting her brother a look that he ignored in favour of watching Bijou roll around in the grass.

“Yup!”

They fell asleep while watching the stars.

* * *

The next morning, White and Satoshi woke to find that Black had disappeared. White didn’t seem too worried because Bijou and his backpack containing his egg were still here which meant he will come back.

“He likes being on his own sometimes,” said White, peering around and trying to block the sun from her eyes, “but he’ll be back.” She didn’t mention that it was because her brother was shy around people he wasn’t too familiar with yet.

“Then, can we go see if we can find some pokemon?” Satoshi asked, practically vibrating with eagerness on the spot.

“Yeah, let’s go,” said White, gently picking up Black’s backpack.

Satoshi and Pikachu have already started walking ahead while White tries to coax Bijou to move since the Oshawott kept looking around for her trainer. Bijou finally moved when White said they would find Black on the way.

It was a gorgeous day for them to stroll along the path when suddenly a stampede of small brown creatures passed by them, going too fast for Satoshi and Pikachu to even see what it was that ran them over.

“Those were Patrats,” said White as she checked the two of them over for injury. Satoshi and Pikachu seemed to be mostly okay despite the painful encounter.

“This may be a lot harder than I thought it would be…” Satoshi groaned in pain. His foot sent small sparks of pain shooting up after being trampled on.

Then they came across a flock of bird pokemon roosting in the grass and Satoshi grabbed his pokedex, recognizing this was a good chance to encounter one of them.

_Pidove, the tiny pigeon pokemon. A Pidove’s flock’s cooing can get extremely noisy. Pidove is not attracted to shiny objects._

Satoshi called for Pikachu and one Thunderbolt managed to faint a Pidove that Satoshi picked out from the group. But then the rest of the flock came to the defense and attacked both Satoshi and Pikachu with slices of air.

White watched in disbelief as Satoshi and Pikachu are hit by the attacks and then they stubbornly proceed to fight the one Pidove that got left behind in the ruckus. Pikachu obviously had an advantage being electric type but the Pidove broke out of the ball the first time Satoshi threw one, so the duo continued with the fight.

The Pidove shot at Pikachu for a direct physical hit, Pikachu dodged it and the Pidove couldn’t stop its momentum and ran smack into a tree. Pikachu and Satoshi quickly leaped at the chance to let loose another Thunderbolt and then Satoshi didn’t waste a single moment with throwing a pokeball.

Waiting for the pokeball to confirm the catch was always so nerve wracking but this time the ball stopped moving and the light dimmed. Satoshi had successfully caught the Pidove!

“We got Pidove! We got Pidove!” Satoshi chanted ecstatically.

“Pi-Pikachu!” Pikachu echoed his trainer.

White came over and put Bijou on the ground. “Congratulations Satoshi!”

“This is so awesome!” said Satoshi in satisfaction. “My first partner in Unova!”

White took out an apple and split it in half, “Nice battling, how about a treat for you Pikachu? You too Bijou.”

Bijou took the split apple and gave the other half to Pikachu. The two of them munched happily together on the grass.

White turned back to Satoshi and asked, “Do you want to look for more pokemon?”

“Yes! Which way should we-“

In the next second, something shot out of the bushes and grabbed a hold of Pikachu and Bijou and retracted just as fast, but it didn’t escape Satoshi and White’s attention.

The two of them cried out in alarm to see their pokemon snatched away from them by a mysterious force.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” White shouted.

“Show yourself!” Satoshi demanded angrily.

Shadowy figures stepped out from under the trees, next to the robotic arms that grabbed Pikachu and Bijou. White saw a woman with long red hair, a male with short violet hair, and then a really short figure standing on two legs and had pointy ears and whiskers. The man and woman were dressed in black, emblazoned with a red ‘R’ on the front.

“When you ask ‘what do you think you’re doing’,” said the woman.

“The answer we give is for the sake of tomorrow,” said the man. Then they continued back and forth.

“Future! The white future wears the colours of evil!”

“Universe! The black world receives the iron hammer of justice!”

Then the third figure spoke, “We write our names onto this earth!”

“The passionate destroyer: Musashi!” The woman announced.

“The pure heart of darkness: Koujirou!” said the man.

“And the infinite intelligence: Meowth!” The shortest figure finished, stepping out into sunlight.

“Now gather in the name of Team Rocket!” All three of them said in unison.

White gaped at the trio, “That’s a Meowth! A talking Meowth!” She exclaimed in shock. “I’ve never seen one in real life before, who are these people? And what are they doing with Pikachu and Bijou?”

“Team Rocket,” Satoshi growled, “White, they’re bad guys who want to steal other people’s pokemon.”

“That’s right,” Musashi smirked, “We steal pokemon and exhaust the limits of evil…”

“So we can have our grand Pokemon army,” Koujirou continued.

“That is who we, Team Rocket, are!” Meowth finished, preening himself.

White looked unimpressed, “So you’re thieves! I’ve never heard of your gang. You must be desperate if you’re coming after just us.”

“What!? How dare you! We are part of the infamous Rocket Gang!” Musashi and Koujirou exclaimed in unison.

“Yeah, and this Pikachu is the strongest Pikachu in the world! Of course we want to get it, and all the pokemon we can get our hands on,” said Meowth indignantly and gestured behind him to a glass box where Pikachu and Bijou were deposited.

“Pikachu!” Satoshi cried. Pikachu was trying to push at the walls, but to no avail. Bijou looked quite upset at being tossed into a box.

“Give Bijou back!” said White angrily. “She does not belong to you!”

“Bijou?” Musashi asked, looking at the little otter pokemon.

“Doesn’t that mean jewel?” said Koujirou in confusion.

“Who cares? Let’s initiate the subjugation of the Unova region starting with this one!” Meowth said, but Satoshi and White won’t let them get away.

“I don’t care if you’re a talking Meowth, you’re a criminal!” White cried, pulling out a pokeball. “Get Bijou back, Kuro!”

The purple feline pokemon emerged, glaring fiercely at Team Rocket.

“That must be another pokemon from this region. Meowth, let’s show these twerps how strong Kanto pokemon are,” said Musashi, directing at Kuro. When nothing happened, she looked down and saw that Meowth had a dreamy gaze in his eyes when he looked at Kuro.

“She is one fine feline,” Meowth said in a daze, looking at the Purrloin with glazed eyes. Musashi reached down and slapped Meowth. “Go and attack!”

Meowth quickly snapped out of it and jumped out, claws glowing in preparation for attacking. “I’m going to cut you down to size, little girl.”

“Little girl?!” White growled, enraged. “Oh it’s on now. Kuro, use Fury Swipes!”

Kuro leaped at Meowth with glowing sharp claws as well and the resulting clash sent them both squaring off on the grass.

Satoshi turned his attention to freeing Pikachu and Bijou out of the box and sent out Pidove.

“Go Pidove!”

Musashi took out a pokeball in order to battle Satoshi’s Pidove. “Go my pokemon!” She called, and released an aqua light blue furball with wings.

“What is that?” Satoshi wondered, though he didn’t have time to take out the pokedex as the pokemon engaged his Pidove in an aerial battle.

White quickly glanced over from her fight with Meowth, “It’s a Woobat!” she called back.

“A Woobat huh?” Musashi mused, and turned to her newest pokemon, “Woobat, use Air Slash!”

“Pidove, use Quick Attack!” Satoshi called.

Pidove dove forward, lightning quick, and managed to avoid all the slashes that Woobat was sending out and charged straight at Woobat, but Woobat managed to dodge it.

“Now’s your chance,” said Musashi, “Gust!”

The Woobat sent out large winds that plowed Pidove straight into the ground and was knocked out. Satoshi ran quickly to pick up his Pidove but Team Rocket has already prepared a getaway by blowing up a purple balloon.

Musashi called to Meowth, “Come on Meowth, we’re leaving now!”

“Just. A. Moment,” Meowth panted, making another leap at Kuro, who danced out of the way easily and countered with Scratch but Meowth also dodged out of the way of the claws. Through the entire battle though, Meowth seemed to be actively trying to avoid hurting Kuro, which puzzled White, but as a result, both Kuro and Meowth were getting nowhere in the fight. White gritted her teeth, realizing that Kuro was still relatively new to battling and that she still has a long way to go in training and battling with her.

Meowth leapt back, “Okay, that’s enough. I’ll see you next time cutie,” he said to Kuro. “And you too, girlie.” He ran back to rejoin the Rocket members in the

“NO!” Satoshi yelled in a panic, watching as Team Rocket began to escape into the sky along with Pikachu and Bijou.

“Kuro!” White called frantically to her Purrloin and she rushed forward to climb the closest tree. To White’s shock, Satoshi followed her and both human and pokemon leaped off the tree and aimed to grab onto the glass box.

They were so close but Satoshi couldn’t reach. Kuro touched the box but clawed uselessly against the slippery surface and had to do a back flip, landing on the ground safely. Satoshi on the other hand, crashed harshly onto the dirt path.

“Satoshi!” White cried, worried that he would be hurt. This was becoming a bad situation. She had to get Pikachu and her brother’s beloved pokemon back.

Pidove was down, and now that Team Rocket had taken to the air, Kuro can’t reach them. What else could she do?

But before either White or Satoshi could move, a small grey blur shot out of the trees and straight up at the balloon, puncturing a hole in the canvas.

The balloon began to burst out air and rocked, causing Team Rocket to fall off balance.

“What was that?” Koujirou asked, looking around, “Was that another Pokemon?”

From out of the forest, Black came running out just as the glass box crashed towards the ground and released Pikachu and Bijou. Both Satoshi and Black made a dive to catch their partners before Team Rocket could regroup from the crash.

From above them, Black’s Emonga floated down, proud of the destruction she caused. Team Rocket gaped at the new arrival and Meowth exclaimed, “That twerp has another pokemon?”

“Black!” White and Satoshi shouted in unison, “You made it!”

“Are the both of you okay?” Black asked, and then he checked on Bijou, asking if she was all right. Bijou and Pikachu both looked a bit banged up from the crash though so Black turned his attention to Team Rocket, looking very annoyed.

“This is not how you treat pokemon,” he said, glaring at the pokemon thieves.

“Hmph, now you’ve done it,” Musashi grunted in irritation, “Who asked you?”

“Yeah, who made you the authority on Pokemon?” Meowth said in accusation.

Black flinched and looked at the Meowth with wide eyes. “A talking Meowth?” He murmured in amazement.

Satoshi ran in front of Black, looking furious that he had almost lost Pikachu. “Black, let’s beat back these bad guys, I won’t let them get away with trying to take Pikachu and Bijou!”

“R-right,” Black said, snapping out of it and nodding. He turned to Molly, “Molly, use Thundershock!” Molly nodded determinedly and flew forward.

“Mon-gaaa!” Molly cried as she let loose a jolt of electricity and hurled it at Team Rocket. Musashi, Koujirou, and Meowth endured the assault.

“Ha! That was nothing…” said Musashi.

“Compared to the usual hits we get from Pikachu!” Meowth finished.

“Is that really something to be proud of?” Koujirou wondered out loud.

Pikachu came forward, determined to get back at Team Rocket. Satoshi, understanding Pikachu’s resolve, commanded him to use Thunderbolt and Pikachu immediately began charging up.

Musashi quickly called out her Woobat again and the Woobat unleashed Air Slash that hit both Pikachu and Molly in quick succession.

“Pikachu!” Satoshi cried, becoming really worried about the injuries his partner was accumulating.

Suddenly, Bijou wiggled out of Black’s arms and glared at Team Rocket

“Shaaaa,” she cried, letting loose a stream of water that batted Woobat back and crashed into Musashi and Koujirou.

Pikachu quickly took advantage of the distraction and charged into a Volt Tackle, but Team Rocket threw a smoke bomb and disappeared when the smoke settled.

“Pika?” Pikachu asked, confused when he found nothing there. And then, like a puppet cut from its strings, he collapsed from the backlash of his attack and the other injuries from earlier.

“We need to get them to a PokeCenter!” White exclaimed, seeing that Bijou was wavering from all the damage she had taken too. Black immediately ran up and scooped both of his pokemon up while White recalled Kuro.

Together, the three of them hightailed out of there to find the nearest Pokecentre.

* * *

“Thank you for waiting, your pokemon are all healed!” Nurse Joy announced, gesturing to Molly, Kuro, Pikachu, Pidove, and Bijou, all standing on the counter as healthy as can be.

Satoshi, Black, and White went to their respective partners, happy to see them in perfect form again.

“Thanks Nurse Joy,” said Satoshi, turning to the pokemon nurse.

“It’s not a problem at all,” said Nurse Joy kindly, “This is the first time I’ve treated a Pikachu. They’re very rare here!”

“I’m from Pallet Town,” Satoshi responded, “and this is my first time visiting a PokeCenter in Unova.”

“I see,” said Nurse Joy. “Then, just like in Kanto, whenever you need your pokemon healed, feel free to stop by!”

“Will do,” Satoshi replied, holding out his hand for his new Pidove to land on. He turned to his two companions, “Black, White, thank you for helping me get Pikachu back.”

“It’s no problem at all,” said White. “Though I think Black helped a bit more than I did.”

Black reached up to his head, but then halted the movement upon seeing White and Satoshi’s stares. He looked sheepish, “I… I’m not sure I was much help either. Molly could barely push them back by herself. It was Bijou stepping in that saved us I think.”

“Well, you both were still a lot of help. You too Molly, Kuro, Bijou,” Satoshi said, addressing each Pokemon. All three of them responded back happily with Bijou and Molly looking sheepish and Kuro accepting the thanks with a flick of her chin.

“That was a bit too much excitement for just the first day. It’s probably too much to ask if that Team Rocket will come back again,” White said, sighing a little. “I guess we still have a long way to go.”

“Don’t worry, if they come back, we’ll be ready for them,” Satoshi said with a stubborn glint in this eyes. 

Black nodded, determined to make sure they won’t get caught off guard next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder:  
> Bijou = Oshawott  
> Kuro = Purrloin  
> Molly = Emonga
> 
> *Kuro is revealed to know Fury Swipes  
> *Molly is revealed to know Thundershock  
> *Pidove is revealed to know Quick Attack and Air Cutter  
> *Bijou is revealed to know Water Gun
> 
> \- Sorry for the late update. I thought I could update while on vacation but it turns out there was no time and no opportunity to do so  
> \- I kind of use Team Rocket and Rocket Gang interchangeably; I'm a little more familiar with the dubbed version than original but I'll try my best  
> \- Feel free to ask me any questions you might have  
> \- Thank you so much for the lovely comments! They really are very motivating and I wasn't expecting them at all


	6. Sandile Resort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small family tiff splits up the twins temporarily when Black finds out about Satoshi's goal, and some pokemon are in need of rescuing.

After staying the night at the PokeCenter, the trio was up bright and early just outside on road.

“So Black, White, which way to the nearest town?” Satoshi asked, stretching in the morning light.

“Well, the nearest town is Accumula Town,” Black answered. “It’s that way,” he pointed down the road. Satoshi peered down the road in interest.

“Accumula Town huh? Does it have a gym?”

“What? A gym?” Black asked, taken aback.

“Yeah, I’m collecting gym badges,” said Satoshi with a confused tone, “…didn’t you know?” Satoshi didn’t notice White cringing behind them. Pikachu did though, giving the girl a confused tilt of his head that she waved off with a shake of her head.

Black stilled, “…No,” he said slowly. “I mean, I didn’t realize that your goal was to challenge the gyms… and then what?”

“And then once I get all of them, I want to challenge the League!” Satoshi answered, building up excitement as he thought about his goal. “Then I’ll be on my way to fulfilling my dreams of being a Pokemon Master!”

“I see,” Black said lightly. “I wasn’t aware that was your goal. Did you know about that White?” He turned to his sister.

“I need to go… do something, yeah,” White said quickly, and she briskly walked off down the road.

Black sighed, “Figures,” he muttered as he rubbed his head.

“Eh?” Satoshi asked in confusion swivelling his head back and forth between the twins, “what was that all about?”

Black shrugged, “White is pretty independent. I learned to give her space.”

“But you can tell if there’s anything wrong right?” Satoshi asked, “I mean, you’re twins, and I’ve heard that twins can feel if anything’s wrong with each other.”

Black made a little ‘oh’ sound and then looked away a little guiltily, “We… haven’t been that close in a long time.” He admitted, “And it’s mostly because of me.”

“O-kay,” said Satoshi, drawing out the sound, wondering if he should ask what sounded like a delicate family matter. It was a bit awkward to be the one in the middle of a sibling dispute that seemed to be running in the background instead of directly in front of him. “Then, should we keep going?”

Black blinked in surprise that Satoshi was asking him to decide something but then realized the other boy was asking if they should wait for White to come back or leave.

He quickly made a decision, “We should get to the next town so let’s go. White will catch up.”

“Okay!”

The four of them continued walking down the path. Both the forests and the two humans were quiet. Pikachu looked at Bijou in puzzlement and the little Oshawott just shrugged. She knew her trainer wasn’t much of a talker.

“Hey, Black?” Satoshi spoke up.

“…Yes?”

“How did you get Molly?”

Black was surprised. Out of all the questions he figured Satoshi might have, he went with one about Molly? He thought briefly about how to answer.

“I… White and I found her squaring off against a swarm of Woobat. At first we were curious as to why they were attacking until we saw an apple core in front of the bushes and realized that she had thrown that core into the bushes while eating and it triggered the swarm. And, well, even though Emonga’s electric type should work well against a Woobat, there were so many of them that they injured her in the battle really badly.”

Satoshi listened intently as Black continued the story as they kept walking.

“Even when she was already badly injured, the Woobats wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t watch the fighting anymore and rescued her; took her to the PokeCenter afterwards and got her healed up. But then she wouldn’t let go of me… White said I should see that as a sign that she really wanted to come with me.”

“Wow, you’re… a really good person, Black.” Satoshi said.

Black blushed lightly and looked away, “I just did what any person should do. It’s sad to see Pokemon ganging up on each other like that.”

“No, you’re right. I’m glad you did, and I can tell Molly likes being with you,” said Satoshi. He looked at the Oshawott in Black’s arms, “and so does Bijou of course.”

“Osha!” Bijou nodded enthusiastically.

Black couldn’t help but smile at the encouragement of Satoshi and his pokemon, “Then, Satoshi, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure!”

“Why do you think people ba-AH!”

In that moment, the ground gave way under the two of them, eliciting a short shriek from Black and a long drawn out one from Satoshi.

“PIKAAAA!”

“OSHAAAA!”

Their pokemon yelped, having been jostled hard from the fall as well.

Satoshi groaned, “is everyone okay?” He got affirmatives from both pokemon. Black pushed himself back up, dusting his arms and legs and checking for injuries.

“I’m fine… are we in a pitfall?”

“Yeah, who did this?” Satoshi wondered out loud.

“It was a Sandile,” said an unfamiliar voice. The two of them looked up to see a boy with short brown hair peering down at them.

The boy’s name was Dan, and he managed to get both of them out with a long rope around a tree.

After they were out, Satoshi did a search on his pokedex for the pokemon Dan mentioned.

_Sandile,_ _the Desert Croc Pokémon. A dark membrane protects its eyes from the sun, and it buries itself in the sand with its eyes and nose sticking out._

 “Thanks for saving us,” said Black.

 "It was no problem at all. My house is nearby. We run a hotel spa resort in this area.”

“A spa?” Satoshi exclaimed, “I love spas!”

“That’s great to hear, but right now we’re closed because of the Sandile in the area.” Dan said sheepishly.

“Sandiles are ground creatures,” Black mused out loud, “but I didn’t know they like spas.”

“Osha?” Bijou chimed in, adding in her own confused two cents.

Dan explained the problem as he led them to his hotel resort, “It’s not really the spas. At our hotel, our biggest hit is the sand bath but it’s been… well, trampled over.”

Satoshi and Black looked out into the hotel grounds, noting that the trees have been overturned, and there were large holes dug out in the ground.

Dan explained that a little while back, the Sandiles started bothering their customers, and there were a large number of them too. They kicked sand into their faces, dug holes, knocked over trees, and generally ravaged the place until all the people fled.

“But… the Sandiles usually keep to themselves and are very docile,” Black protested. 

Dan just shook his head, “We don’t know why they’re doing this.”

“Then we should investigate this ourselves!” Satoshi declared, “Come on, Pikachu!” He hopped over the fence.

Black wanted to find out as well and agreed, “Then Bijou and I will go… Satoshi, what are you doing?”

He stared as Satoshi and Pikachu both lay down and quickly buried themselves in the hot sand.

“If we’re investigating, then we should see what’s like for ourselves,” Satoshi murmured in absolute bliss.

“Pikaaaa,” Pikachu said, also blissed.

Bijou leaped out of Black’s arms and started to scold the duo, “Osha-osha-shawott!”

“Aren’t we going to find out why the Sandiles are rampaging?” Black asked the duo in disbelief. He felt like he was getting whiplash from Satoshi’s actions.

“In a moment…” Satoshi said dreamily, “I can see why they would like this place.”

With a sigh, Black decided to turn to Dan to ask him questions instead, “Dan, do you think the Sandiles are all working together?”

“Well, they seem to come out one by one and then suddenly, there’s a whole lot of them,” Dan replied while staring at the sand bath in amusement.

“I see…”

“Oshaa, shaaa wott osha!” Meanwhile, Bijou was still indignantly telling Pikachu and Satoshi to stop slacking off. She finally got fed up and sprayed a powerful stream of water aimed at both of their faces, shocking them out of the sand.

 “Hey!” Satoshi protested.

It was at that moment none of them noticed a Sandile wearing sunglasses surging towards them in the sand until he leapt out.

Dan recognized the pokemon, “That’s the Sandiles’ leader!” He cried.

“Leader?!” Satoshi and Black exclaimed in perfect unison.

The Sandile surged forward with open mouth and grabbed onto Bijou.

“Bijou!” Black cried, horrified to see her in the jaws of the Sandile.

“We’ll help! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!”

“NO!” Black yelled loudly, startling both Pikachu and Satoshi. “Electric attacks won’t work against a Sandile and you’ll only hurt Bijou more!”

“Then, what do we do?” Satoshi asked.

Black pulled out a pokeball, “Molly! Help me get Bijou out!”

Black ran at the Sandile, not sure what he was doing but he just knew he had to get his Oshawott out. He tugged at the Sandile’s jaws and Molly settled just above with the same determination.

“Let her go!”

Molly was tugging at the Sandile’s front end, and was soon joined by Pikachu and Satoshi both pitching in to wrench the pokemon’s jaws open.

They were all thrown off by the Sandile, including Bijou, but quicker than any of them could react, the Sandile went straight for Pikachu and Molly, grabbing them by arms, and then started walking away to Satoshi and Black’s horror.

But just as they were about to pursue after the Sandile, all three pokemon were suddenly grabbed and lifted midair… by a giant crane!

“What is going on?” Satoshi demanded.

A familiar feminine voice answered, “He’s asking what is going on?”

“Well, the answer we’ll give is for the sake of tomorrow!” Another male voice chimed in.

“Future! The white future wears the colour of evil!”

“Universe! The black world receives the hammer of justice!”

“And we’ll write our names onto this planet!”

“I am the passionate destroyer, Musashi.” 

“I am the pure heart of darkness, Koujirou.”

“And I am the infinite intelligence, Meowth!”

“We fight in the name of Team Rocket!” All three members of Team Rocket shouted in unison.

“You guys again?” Satoshi asked, feeling a little annoyed.

“Ha! Yes us again, twerp,” Musashi crowed.

“And this time, no surprises will be coming from you,” said Meowth, throwing an object down at them that released smoke and Team Rocket rolled away in their vehicle.

They came to stop up the rocks and far away enough from the hotel.

“This time we finally got Pikachu!” Musashi said in triumph, looking up at the three pokemon dangling midair.

“And we obtained a Sandile and that other twerp’s pokemon as a bonus!” Meowth added.

“All right, let’s report to Sakaki-boss right away,” said Koujirou.

All of a sudden, the ground began to shake under the vehicle. The captured Sandile let out a cry, and many more Sandiles began appearing around Team Rocket.

Satoshi, Black, and Dan, ran to find Team Rocket and spotted their vehicle up on another ledge.

When they finally caught up, Team Rocket was nowhere to be found, but Pikachu, Molly, and the group of Sandiles were with a bunch of other wild pokemon and they were all herded against a cliff.

“What’s going on?” Satoshi asked quietly, watching as the Sandiles started leading the wild pokemon. A geyser was suddenly seen erupting behind in the distance.

“That’s never happened before,” said Dan, pointing at the geyser.

“Maybe the Sandiles knew this was going to happen and are trying to warn everyone away?” Black guessed.

“Oshaaa,” Bijou said, climbing up the rock. She ran towards Pikachu and Molly who didn’t want to follow the Sandile.

Satoshi and Black quickly followed her to collect their respective partners.

Several things happened all at once when they got there: The Sandile leader came rushing at them with an angry look and suddenly a massive amount of geysers erupted from behind. The ground cracked around the group of wild pokemon, turning it into an island surrounded by scalding hot water.

Black gasped in alarm and immediately rushed forward to try and reach the pokemon. Molly flew over to join her trainer at the edge of the water and but they both stopped, feeling helpless. The Emonga was the only one capable of flying but her flight capability would not hold the weight of another pokemon at all, and her trainer was keenly aware that he would be unable to send her to help.

The Sandile immediately took action and formed a chain by grabbing each other’s tail and then tipped over to form a bridge across the water. Black noted that this was an extremely risky move as Sandile are naturally weak against water but he felt helpless to do anything about it – these were wild pokemon and no one else had the ability to counter the steaming hot water or be able to rescue the pokemon stranded on the island. At any moment the island could break apart and they would all fall in. As his thoughts began to show that scenario, Black began to panic a little so he wracked his brain for an alternate solution in case this one went wrong.

Satoshi ran up next to him, calling for the pokemon to cross the bridge, but they both could see they were too scared to.

Suddenly, Satoshi leaped over and ran over the bridge himself to try and talk to the pokemon and Pikachu didn’t hesitate to follow his trainer. Black and Molly stared in shock at the impulsive move, astonished at the lengths Satoshi will go to help them out. It was a dangerous move because one slip and they would fall.

“Come on, slowly now, you can do it,” Satoshi gently encouraged and guided the wild pokemon to cross the bridge until Pikachu had also gone and Satoshi was the last one to cross.

But as he goes to follow the rest of the pokemon, the rock beneath him started crumbling and he grabbed onto the Sandile bridge.

Black saw another geyser erupt above them and was bearing down on them so he quickly called for Bijou to counter the water with her own blast of water. Her attack managed to divert it successfully and Black let out a small breath of relief.

Satoshi was still managing to balance on the Sandile bridge, but Black watched in dawning horror that he couldn’t hold on. But before he could move or act, a whoosh of wind went past him and ran onto the bridge, grabbing onto Satoshi.

The bridge went vertical, pulling Satoshi and his savior into the air and then collapsing gently back on the shore.

“White!” Satoshi exclaimed in relief, “You saved me!”

White huffed at them as she caught her breath, “What kind of trouble have you two been up to?”

“It’s not trouble, we were saving those pokemon from the geyser!” Satoshi protested.

“It’s thanks to the Sandile that we even knew about it,” Black added. He ran over and hugged his sister gratefully.

“You were right on time to help Satoshi.”

“Well, someone had to,” said White, “You were being a Slowbro, bro.”

A laugh tore out of Black’s throat, “I’m glad to see you too sis.”

Satoshi yelled his thanks to the Sandile group as they all walked away from the disaster site and the wild pokemon all scattered. Dan also came up, amazed at the display of bravery he saw from everyone.

All three of them bashfully waved away the praise but they weren’t going to say no to Dan’s next offer of trying out the new hot springs now that all the hot water have flowed down the cliffs and cooled with the sand at the hotel.

“This is heaven,” White sighed in bliss, stretching out in the little pond of hot water. She didn't particularly care about having separate baths and being the only girl, she would have been all alone. Besides, it was just Satoshi and her brother, and their pokemon.

“Yeah…” Satoshi concurred, also relaxed. “Hey, where did you go, White? And how did you find us?”

“I wasn’t too far away actually, I was doing some training,” White replied.

“All by yourself? Next time, train with me! We should have a practice battle!” Satoshi clamoured, always eager to have a pokemon battle.

“Sure thing,” White answered him with ease. She then turned to her brother who had closed his eyes, half-submerged in the water.

“Hey, about earlier…”

Black opened his eyes and sat up. “It’s okay. I understand why you didn’t tell me about Satoshi’s gym challenge.”

“You do?”

“Yes, I think he really should challenge the gyms. We can even help him with it.”

“You do?” White asked, shocked.

“You will?” Satoshi interjected excitedly, leaping out of the water and creating a small splash, “You’ll help me with the gym? How much do you know about the gyms? Are Unovan gym leaders really strong?”

“Whoa, slow down there,” White held out his hands in surrender, “We’ll help you get to the gyms, and we’ll support you but we won’t be telling you what to do. That’s your job as a trainer and as a challenger isn’t it?”

“Yeah, you’re totally right,” Satoshi agreed, settling down a bit at White’s words. “Sorry, I got a little too carried away.”

“That said, we can tell you a few things but I think for now, Black and I want to see how you will fair in the first couple of gyms without any input from us.”

“It’s a deal,” said Satoshi, splashing the water a little. Then another thought occurred to him and he turned to Black.

“Oh yeah, Black, what did you want to ask me? Before we fell into that Sandile’s pitfall?”

Black startled by the question, not realizing that Satoshi was really paying attention to him and even remembered to bring it up again. He gazed at their pokemon companions in the water: Pikachu, Molly, and Bijou, all enjoying their relaxing bath together. Satoshi followed his gaze and looked to the pokemon with slight confusion, not really understanding what Black was seeing in their little group.

He finally shook his head, “it’s fine Satoshi. I’ll ask again if I don’t know my own answer.”

Satoshi was still confused, but accepted Black’s cryptic words. For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New week, new chapter!
> 
> \- If you’re really familiar with Best Wishes, don’t worry because not all the episodes would be included in this  
> \- No new translations needed for this chapter!  
> \- Thank you for reading and if you have questions, I'm happy to answer them as always


	7. Accumula's Battle Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Black face-palms a lot, White is ready to pulverize someone, and Satoshi continues to impress everyone with his relentless compassion

Satoshi, Black, and White could see the tall buildings of a sprawling downtown as they walked up the ledge overlooking the landscape. It was their first large town visit in the region.

“Alright! Time to show you guys my first gym battle!” Satoshi said, all pumped up and hopping.

Black face-palmed. Didn’t they just go through this? “Satoshi, there’s no gym here remember?”

Satoshi tripped, “Wait, what?”

“I said the next one was in Striaton City,” Black reminded him, “this is Accumula Town.”

“Awww,” said Satoshi. He stopped jumping and turned to the shorthaired twin with pleading eyes, “But I want to have a gym battle already.”

“Then I think you should try out the Battle Club then,” suggested White, “it might be a good way to get some training in before an actual gym battle.”

“What’s a battle club?” Satoshi asked.

Black was tempted to just permanently glue his palm to his face but he reminded himself that Satoshi is new to the region, and if he remembered correctly, Kanto didn’t have Battle Clubs.

White tugged on Satoshi’s sleeve, “Come on, it’ll be easier to show you.”

The Battle Club was a building that stood apart from the others because it was the largest one. It looked much like a greenhouse with large windows and it curled in at the top despite the box-like design. The grounds outside the building were also spacious and lined with many shrubs and trees.

As Satoshi took in the view of the building, White stood by him, excitement thrumming through her as she thought about all the battles that she might get to see. She noticed her brother seemed to be facing another direction, a faraway look in his eyes.

She prodded him, saying softly, “You okay?”

“Y-yeah,” Black said, startled slightly. “Just… thinking.”

“Alright,” said White, leaving it at that. She and Satoshi went into the building. Black stood there for a few more seconds in contemplation before following them in.

In the lobby, White was explaining the Xtransceivers system to a fascinated Satoshi. The system was set up so that trainers can register themselves and their pokemon to be available to battle as well as request to battle others. There can be additional parameters that trainers can require as well such as number of pokemon in a team or types they want to battle and so on.

Satoshi asked to go see if anyone was battling right now so they all headed to the back of the club to visit the battlefield.

Sure enough, there was a match going on between a Dewott and a Servine.

“Shaaa,” Bijou stared in fascination. She likely recognized that the Dewott was her evolutionary form.

Despite the type advantage, the Dewott knocked out the Servine and the defeated pokemon was rushed out of the room. Its trainer presumably went to heal his pokemon as soon as possible.

“Welcome,” a hulking man boomed, spotting Satoshi, Black, and White. He came over to greet them, sporting a dojo-esque outfit.

“I am Don George, manager of the Battle Club,” said Don George with a warm smile.

“Hello, I’m White, this is my brother Black, and this is Satoshi,” White replied, gesturing to her two companions. Don George stared at the three of them with a thoughtful look.

“I heard that trainers come here to battle,” Satoshi said, “I want to get ready for my upcoming gym match.”

“Well then, I recommend you challenge any one of the trainers here,” said Don George, gesturing broadly towards the club field.

“Pi!” Pikachu perked up, catching the Don’s attention.

“Oh a Pikachu! Those are rare to find here!” He exclaimed enthusiastically upon seeing the pokemon on Satoshi’s shoulder.

Their conversation caught the attention of the trainer with the Dewott and he came over to ask for a battle, and Satoshi easily agreed to it.

“Ooh, this is exciting,” said White from the sidelines. “If that other trainer uses a Dewott, Satoshi will have the type advantage.”

“He would,” Black agreed, “but it’s not always about type advantage. That Dewott looked pretty tough against a Servine after all.”

“That’s true too,” White said nodding, and returned her attention back to the match where Satoshi was actually struggling a little. Pikachu’s Volt Tackle was dodged and White winced when he hit the wall. That, plus the recoil damage from just using Volt Tackle itself, must really hurt.

Just then, the alarms started blaring throughout the building, interrupting the match. One of Don George’s assistants came running in, reporting that an intruder has tripped the security alarm.

“I want to see what’s going on,” said Satoshi, already making a run for the door. “Come on Pikachu!”

“Black, come on! Let’s go too,” White said, grabbing her brother by the hand.

“You don’t have to drag me,” Black protested, clutching Bijou in one arm and trying to stay balanced as he followed White out the door.

In the manager’s office, they found Don George and his assistants viewing a security tape. The Don explained that there has been a pokemon running around the facility recently trying to steal food from their storage, so they set up a security alarm to try and find the thief.

The video clip showed a shadowy figure bouncing out of the storage, and then three familiar shadowy figures stepped out, also startled by the alarm.

“It’s those guys again, Team Rocket!” Satoshi said, staring accusingly at the screen.

“Why are they here again?” White groaned.

“Team Rocket? I’ve heard of a Team Rocket in the Kanto Region,” said Don George. “But that’s not what I’m concerned about. I’ve got a keen eye, so play back that first part of the video.”

“Right, boss,” said his assistant, obediently replaying the first part. He immediately paused it on a fleeing shadowy figure.

“There! That’s the pokemon who’s been tripping the alarms,” Don George pointed.

“That looks like…” Satoshi muttered and he flipped through his pokedex before showing everyone the screen.

“Doesn’t that look like this pokemon?”

_Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokemon, and an evolved form of Eevee. The rings of Umbreon’s body glow faintly when exposed to the moon’s aura, and it gains a mysterious power._

White muffled an excited shriek, “I’ve never seen a real Umbreon before!” She exclaimed.

“Is that how big they’re suppose to be?” Black asked, staring at the small screen with suspicion. For an evolved form, it sure was small. Maybe that’s why it was stealing from the food storage?

“An Umbreon is a pokemon never seen in this region! This would be a special find, we must search for it!” Don George declared.

“Yes Boss!” His assistants all responded eagerly, and they all fanned out to search.

Satoshi, White, and Black glanced at each other thinking they were on the same wavelength: they wanted to find this mysterious pokemon.

Instead of jumping into the bushes and just searching for it, Satoshi had the idea of luring the pokemon to them with the pokemon food in the storage. The twins agreed, realizing the pokemon might come back to the storage and if they set out food, it might stay long enough for them to find it.

White and Satoshi each took a separate direction to set down more food after the bowls in the storage room were done.

Black set Bijou down next to Pikachu and gave them both directions, “Bijou, you look around the warehouse areas, and Pikachu, you stay here and keep a lookout okay? I’ll be just down this aisle to set more food.”

“Pika!” Pikachu responded, saluting.

“Oshawott!” Bijou said happily, mimicking Pikachu’s salute.

“Good, one of you can come get me if anything happens,” Black said, getting up and grabbing another box and then setting off further down the corridor.

The two pokemon looked at each other, mutually agreeing to start their tasks right away and they rushed off to take up their stations.

While Bijou searched through every little corner of the warehouses, she suddenly heard a few bangs coming from the storage room Pikachu was guarding. She ran to investigate the noises.

* * *

Satoshi peeked around the corner to see if anyone has been lured by the food and sure enough, the black shadow they saw from before was there at the food bowl.

But, Satoshi looked closer and noticed its movements were odd. The pokemon seemed to be scrubbing at its face while trying to eat the food and as it did so, the coloring seemed to rub off into a somewhat familiar looking shade of orange and brown.

Satoshi realized that he has seen this pokemon before back at Professor Juniper’s lab. It was a Tepig, and it seemed to be having trouble getting rope off its snout.

Wait… rope?

Satoshi moved forward, wanting to take the rope off the snout. Who tied rope to Tepig’s snout? Unbelievable!

“Hey,” he said quietly to the Tepig, “let me take that rope off you okay?”

The Tepig was spooked and immediately darted off. Satoshi took off after it, shouting that he wasn’t going to hurt him but the Tepig clearly ignored him. As he ran, he nearly smacked into White who had just turned the next corner.

“What, Satoshi?” White jumped back, startled, but Satoshi blew past her, shouting that the pokemon was a Tepig and he had to go help it.

White only took a second to take the words in and immediately launched into a sprint to help Satoshi.

Around the next turn, Satoshi managed to corner the scared pokemon and carefully approached. He managed to gently grab onto the Tepig who blew black ash into his face with its snout in startlement.

“It’s okay Tepig,” Satoshi said as soothingly as he could. “I’m just going to get that rope off you.”

White caught up to them, and upon seeing the Tepig in such bad shape, her heart broke.

“That rope must be preventing Tepig from eating,” said White, crouching down and carefully rubbing the black ashes from Tepig’s neck. The little pig purred at the touch and finally calmed down enough that Satoshi was able to gently take the rope off.

“Who did this to Tepig?” White demanded.

“I don’t know, but I want to find them and give them a piece of my mind,” Satoshi said unhappily. He rubbed at Tepig’s snout, looking for any lingering pain or rope burns as gently as he could. White could see Satoshi showing such tenderness that she has rarely seen from another trainer besides Black. (And she only caught those moments when spying on her reclusive brother) Here, Satoshi was doing it openly, not caring who was watching and only focusing on helping the Tepig.

It was a reaffirming of sorts for White in thinking that she made a good choice in Satoshi.

After checking Tepig over, Satoshi stood up still cradling the Tepig in his arms and the two of them went off to find the nearest food bowl.

* * *

Bijou peered around the corner hesitantly. She saw through doorway in front of her, the three members she recognized as Team Rocket ducking into the storage room. But where was Pikachu? Shouldn’t he have attacked Team Rocket by now?

Then Bijou saw what the male Team Rocket member had been startled by: Pikachu laid on the floor seemingly knocked out!

Team Rocket quickly took advantage of the situation and stuffed Pikachu into a bag, before sneaking out. Bijou stayed out of their sight and when their backs were turned, she panicked for a moment before deciding what to do next.

She rushed to go find Black and spotted her trainer pressed up against the wall and watching the food bowls.

“Osha, osha!” She cried at him, waving her arms frantically.

“Bijou?” Black asked, spotting his beloved pokemon. “Is something wrong?”

Bijou shook her head frantically, and pointed in the direction she came from and then tried to use her hands to draw Pikachu’s ears on her head.

“Something’s happened to Pikachu?” Black guessed.

Bijou nodded vigorously and started leading Black back to the warehouses.

The two of them spotted three figures dressed in dark clothing walking away quickly. Bijou gave a cry of indignation upon seeing them and Black immediately realized what was going on. He picked up the pace, scooping up Bijou along the way, and confronted them on the lawn of the battle club. “Where is Pikachu?”

“Pikachu?” Came Satoshi’s voice from off to the side. He, White, and Don George were standing near the front door of the main building.

A muffled sound was heard coming from the bundle in their arms, it was Pikachu!

“You’re a sharp one,” said the shortest figure and Black realized it was Meowth dressed in a mini trench coat.

“And the answer that you seek is for the sake of tomorrow,” said the man, also dressed in a stylish black coat.

“The white future wears the colour of evil!”

“The black world receives the hammer of justice!”

“And we’ll write our names into the earth.”

“I am Musashi.”

“I am Koujirou.”

“I am Meowth, and we fight in the name of Team Rocket!”

“Ugh, you three again? Give me a break,” White muttered.

Black didn’t waste any time in ordering Bijou to use Water Gun in an attempt to rescue Pikachu.

Bijou jumped into the air and shot out a hard stream of water, but before it hits, the Team Rocket trio erected an energy-like barrier. When Bijou’s attack hit, it dissipated against the barrier. Both trainer and pokemon were shocked by the failed attack as Team Rocket took the chance to escape in yet another balloon.

Satoshi desperately ran after them in an attempt to get Pikachu back by himself, and he noticed that Tepig had followed him and was making noises at him.

“Tepig?” Satoshi asked the little pokemon.

“Tep-Tep-Pig!” Tepig said with a determined look.

“You want to help?” Satoshi guessed.

“Tep!” Tepig nodded.

“Okay let’s do it, use Ember!” Satoshi ordered.

Tepig breathed in hard and let loose a stream of small flames that ignited the barrier this time, causing an explosion and the bag holding Pikachu fell out. Satoshi happily caught his partner.

But as the smoke dissipated, Team Rocket was nowhere to be seen.

“Satoshi!” White called running to join up with the rest of their little group.

“Thanks for helping me get Pikachu back guys,” said Satoshi. Bijou jumped down to go greet Pikachu and make sure he was okay and they exchanged smiles

“Is that Tepig the one we’ve been looking for?” Black asked, peering at the little pig pokemon. The little fire pig was no longer a skinny shadow and had a healthy glow after Don George gave him some special vitamins and nourishments.

“Yeah, we found him trying to eat food but there was a rope tied around his mouth,” said Satoshi, looking down at Tepig in sadness. “Don George just told us that this Tepig was abandoned by his trainer after losing a battle and they tied Tepig to a pole when he tried to follow them.”

White crouched down as well to look at Tepig, “I cannot believe someone would do this to a cute little Tepig!” She fumed, then quickly stood up and stomped back to towards the Battle Club.

“White? Where are you going?” Satoshi asked.

“I’m getting Don George to tell me who that trainer was!” White called without looking back.

“Oh boy,” Black muttered and quickly followed after his sister. Satoshi, Pikachu, Bijou, and Tepig stared after them in confusion before scrambling to catch up.

In the lobby of the battle club, Satoshi found the twins there. White was busy talking to Don George with her brother next to her simply face palming.

“Is he in the database, Don George?” White was saying, “that trainer who abandoned Tepig?”

“Yes he is,” Don George confirmed, “are you looking to battle him? Because he only does double battles.”

“Oh… then I can’t request a battle yet,” White trailed, “then what’s his name?” She demanded, “I want to remember his name and face in case he ever shows his sorry face again.”

“White, you want to meet him?” Satoshi asked, finally catching up with them.

“That’s right,” White growled out, cracking her knuckles menacingly. “I need to teach him a lesson for abandoning a pokemon so cruelly, and to someone as adorable as Tepig!” She stalked over to the machines and started scrolling through the trainers intently with Don George looking over her shoulder.

Satoshi looked to Black with a nervous glance but he just shook his head, “Once she gets going, she’s not going to stop.”

“Tep-Pig!” The Tepig called out, getting Satoshi’s attention.

“What is it?” Satoshi asked, crouching down to Tepig’s level. The little pig walked right up and started nuzzling Satoshi’s sleeve affectionately.

From behind, Pikachu and Bijou started talking and waving their arms around excitedly. Satoshi stared at them, uncomprehending what they were trying to say.

Black came forward and held out his arms for his partner to jump into and she did so without hesitation. He turned to Satoshi, “I think they’re trying to tell you that Tepig likes you… I think he wants to be with you.”

“Really? You want to come with us?” Satoshi spun around excitedly to the Tepig still nuzzling his arm.

“Tep!” The little fire pig nodded.

“Then let’s go together, Tepig!” Satoshi said and gently tossed his pokeball at the little pig. The ball quickly settled and the light turned off.

Satoshi picked up the ball and smiled, “Alright! I got Tepig!” He cheered.

“Pi-pikachu!” Pikachu echoed with the same level of excitement.

“Huh?!” White exclaimed as she came over. “Awww, that’s great Satoshi,” she said, though she was pouting a little at how easy Satoshi got another pokemon.

“Did you find out who it was?” Black asked.

“Yes I did! His name is Suwama.”

“Then… are we going to go find him?”

“Ha! I knew you wanted to get him as much as I do,” White said, slapping her brother affectionately.

“Well I definitely won’t be as violent as you about it…” Black said, face-palming.

“He’s not around right now but when we find him, I’m going to teach him not to mess with a pokemon like Tepig!” said White, laughing slightly maniacally.

Satoshi and Pikachu watched White laugh with a sense of foreboding.

“White is actually really scary,” Satoshi said lightly.

“And I never knew she was until a friend of ours pointed it out,” Black added, causing the both of them to stare at him incredulously.

“What?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Tepig is revealed to know Ember  
> \- As always, thank you for reading


	8. Triple Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the real pokemon battles are finally happening

## Part I

“Come on, come on, come on!” Satoshi chanted loudly, charging down the paved road. The people walking on the side spared the trainer a glance and continued on their way.

“Pika, pika, pika!” Pikachu repeated from his perch on Satoshi’s shoulder.

“Satoshi! Wait up!” White called, hot on his heels.

“But we’re finally in Striaton City! I can finally get my first gym match!” Satoshi yelled back, but he did slow to a stop to wait for the rest of his companions. White quickly caught up to him, and then the two of them waited a little while longer for Black to join them.

“Why are you so slow?” White asked him.

“I don’t know if you two remember, but I have an egg in my backpack,” Black reminded them, twisting his arm and pointing at his back.” So I have to be careful not to jostle it!”

“Shawott!” Bijou chimed in from her place in Black’s arms, crossing her arms in disapproval.

“Oh yeah…” White and Satoshi said sheepishly, giving their third companion apologetic looks.

“Well, do you even know how to get to the gym?” White asked, turning to Satoshi.

“Ah… right… I don’t,” Satoshi said, embarrassed. Pikachu hung his head in exasperation at his trainer’s blunder.

Black tapped his cheek, thinking, “Hmmm we should ask someone to show us how to get there,” he suggested.

“Yeah let's do that!” Satoshi agreed instantly.

“There’s no need for that!” White objected, “The gym is one of the most important buildings in the city, we should be able to find it easily enough.”

“Yeah that makes sense,” said Satoshi.

“Really?” Black asked in disbelief, “you just want us to walk around until we find it? Wouldn’t it just be easier to ask someone?”

“Well you don’t want to make someone to go out of their way for us,” White argued.

“They don’t need to ‘go out of their way,’ they can just point us in the right direction,” said Black in return.

“Then we might as well just walk around!”

“That’s not the same thing!”

“Yes it is!”

“It’s not!”

“Yes! Satoshi tell him I’m right! Satoshi! Satoshi?”

The twins suddenly realized that there was a distinct lack of a third member in their group.

“Where did he go?” White asked, bewildered. They started walking around town, scanning the area and then calling his name.

Eventually, they retraced their steps back to the road they were on when they lost Satoshi and looked again for something they might have missed.

“Maybe he went to investigate that crowd over there?” Black suggested, pointing at an area nearby secluded with trees and grass where a large group of people were gathered.

* * *

Satoshi had in fact noticed a group of people starting to gather nearby and curiosity pulled him away from his arguing companions.

In the midst of the crowd, they all seemed to be admiring someone standing there even though he was only holding a bag of what looked like groceries in it.

“All right everyone,” the person was saying. “I guess I do have time for one street battle, but then I have to get back. So who wants to go today?” The speaker was male and taller than Satoshi and he had pulled out a pokeball from his pocket.

“A battle?” Satoshi immediately jumped forward and raised his hand, “I will!”

The person heard him and whipped around. Upon seeing Satoshi, he came over to greet him.

“Of course, of course! Though I haven’t see you before, are you a visiting trainer?”

“Yep! My name is Satoshi,” Satoshi greeted.

“Pikachu!” Pikachu also greeted, catching the taller male’s attention.

“A… Pikachu?” He murmured, and then lit up, “Oh! I’ve never seen a Pikachu before!” He immediately picked up Pikachu gently and spun around, staring in wonder. “Hello!”

Pikachu looked uncertain but not particularly scared and so responded with raising his arm and a polite “Pika!”

“Oh, where are my manners, I’m Dent.” Dent said, placing Pikachu back in Satoshi’s hands and making a little elegant bow.

“Nice to meet you, Dent. Pikachu and I are both from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region,” Satoshi said brightly.

“How exciting! Then, I bid you welcome to Striaton City,” said Dent, “You said you wanted a battle right? Then let’s start one.”

“Alright!” Satoshi cheered, and then so did everyone else around them.

In the little area, there was a battle arena. As Satoshi walked to one of the sides, he can hear the crowd whispering in awe at seeing a Pikachu, and intrigued that a trainer from Kanto was battling Dent. Satoshi wondered if Dent was a really good trainer, seeing that he had fans in the city.

“Since you’re not from here, I’ll explain the usual rules,” said Dent from across the arena.

“We each use one pokemon each, and the timer is set to five minutes,” Dent pointed to a time sitting aside.

“You will win if your opponent’s pokemon has taken more damage than you in three minutes, or of course, is unable to battle. I want this battle to be fair so we have a referee from the crowd to judge who wins or loses the match.”

“Sounds good to me!” Satoshi replied, and turned to Pikachu.

“You’re up Pikachu!”

Pikachu ran onto the field, all pumped up to battle.

“Then I will use this one,” said Dent, pulling out a pokeball and twirling it into the air with a flourish, “It’s show time Dwebble!”

A small spiral-patterend rock appeared on the battlefield and an orange creature popped out from under it.

“Dwebble!” The pokemon cried with pincers raised, looking determined for the battle.

“There it is! Dent’s Dwebble!” Several members of the crowd cheered excitedly.

“Who’s that pokemon?” Satoshi muttered, taking out his pokedex.

_Dwebble, the Rock Inn pokemon. After finding a suitable rock, Dwebble digs a hole in the rock’s bottom to use as a protective shell. Dwebble can make rocks easier to carve by producing a liquid from its mouth._

“That’s pretty cool,” said Satoshi, admiring the new pokemon.

“Begin the match!” The referee called from where she stood down the centerline.

“Alright, let’s start this Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!”

Pikachu charged up the electric attack and hurled it at Dwebble.

“Dwebble, use Protect!” Dent countered.

The Thunderbolt struck a blue shield that Dwebble erected and when it vanished, Dwebble remained unharmed to Satoshi and Pikachu’s surprise. Satoshi changed tactics, “Okay then, Iron Tail!” Pikachu sprang forth and began charging at the Dwebble with its tail hardening into silver metal.

“Use Dig!” Dent called, and Dwebble burrowed into the ground.

“Run around Pikachu!” Satoshi cried, “don’t let it find you!”

But running around didn’t work as Dwebble found Pikachu and hit him from the ground upward. Pikachu flew into the air from the impact.

“Pikachu, are you okay?”

“Pika,” Pika groaned a bit but got up, not looking bruised at all to Satoshi’s relief.

“Not bad,” Dent mused.

At this moment, White and Black arrived on the scene. “Satoshi!” White called, pushing through the crowds, “Why did you run off like that? We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Ah, sorry,” Satoshi said, rubbing his head sheepishly. “I wanted to find out what was going on and I got a battle!”

“A battle… with…” White trailed, noticing Satoshi’s opponent. “Oh,” she said weakly.

Black didn’t say anything and just watched the battle intently with Bijou.

Dent noticed the new arrivals and narrowed his eyes. “Friends of yours?” He asked his opponent.

“Yeah, I accidentally ditched them earlier,” Satoshi said apologetically. “That’s White and her brother Black.”

“Ah, siblings?”

“That’s right, they’re twins. But let’s get back to the battle, Dent.”

“Yes, right, we shall.”

“Then I’ll make the next move: Quick Attack!” Satoshi called out.

Pikachu dashed forward really fast and scored a direct hit, knocking Dwebble into the air.

“Oh!” Dent said, blinking back into the battle and realizing there was less than 30 seconds to go. “Dwebble, let’s hurry and finish this: Shell Smash!”

In the air, Dwebble detached itself from the rock in the air and charged forward with an extra burst of strength from its glowing red energy. Dent quickly followed up with another move: “Now use X-Scissor!”

Dwebble’s pincer claws grew bigger with the boost from Shell Smash and, with an increased speed, it dove right at Pikachu with its claws in an X-shape. Before either Pikachu or Satoshi could react, Dwebble struck a direct hit and Pikachu hit the ground, causing a small explosive impact and dust kicked up from the dirt.

“Pikachu!” Satoshi cried out in concern.

“Time is up!” The referee called, as the timer set nearby began to ring.

When the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were still standing, but it was clear that Pikachu had definitely taken a lot of damage from Dwebble’s combo attack while Dwebble barely took any damage. The referee called it, “Pikachu has sustained more damage therefore the winner of this match is Dent!”

Satoshi ran over to a dejected Pikachu, “Hey, you did great out there.” He said encouragingly.

“That’s true,” Dent’s voice drifted to them and he came over with his Dwebble sitting on his shoulder looking pretty happy with the win. “Even though it was a short match, I can already sense that you two have a deep connection with each other.”

“You can sense that?” Satoshi asked in wonderment.

“It’s my job as a Pokemon Sommelier to do so. It’s why we often hold these kinds of matches,” said Dent with a modest smile.

The new term confused Satoshi and he asked, “What’s a Pokemon Sommelier?”

“You’ve never heard of a Pokemon Sommelier?” White asked as she walked up to them, arms crossed in lingering annoyance.

“That’s alright,” Dent replied in a placating voice. “Pokemon Sommeliers originated in Unova so I wouldn’t be surprised if other regions haven’t heard of them.”

He turned to Satoshi and explained, “We specialize in looking at the bond between a trainer and their pokemon. We can then advise trainers on how to strengthen the bond, and even help people choose their first pokemon based on how compatible they may be.”

“That is so cool!” Satoshi exclaimed, “Can you check Pikachu and me then? Though I’m pretty sure we should be 100% compatible.”

“Pi Pika!” Pikachu agreed.

“Ummm actually, just a moment,” said White, cutting in. She grabbed Dent’s hand started dragging him away, nearly dislodging his Dwebble. “I need to talk to Dent so just… wait right there!” 

Satoshi stared after them, being left hanging. “What just happened?”

Black, who was next to them the whole time, just shrugged and said, “I’m not sure, but weren’t we suppose to go to the gym?”

“Oh yeah,” Satoshi said, remembering his main goal and he quickly reset and refocused.

Black set Bijou and his bag down and rummaged carefully around the egg incubator in the bag before producing a little container pouch and a straw. “Here,” he handed it to Satoshi, “it’s Oran Berry juice. Give it to Pikachu so he can recover his strength quicker.”

“Wow, thanks!” Satoshi said, a little touched by the gesture and gave it to Pikachu who drank it happily. Bijou watched Pikachu drink, forlorn, and Black was amused at his pokemon’s expression for a second before giving Bijou another juice pouch.

Satoshi was watching the pokemon drink their juices contently when White returned with Dent still in tow.

“Sorry for the wait!” said White with a bright smile, “but good news Satoshi, Dent can show us the way to the pokemon gym.”

“You want to challenge the gym?” Dent asked in surprise.

“Yeah, I want to get my first gym badge,” Satoshi replied.

“Then follow me,” Dent gestured in a different direction with a bemused smile.

“Alright!” Satoshi collected Pikachu and bounced after the taller boy and White and Black followed quickly after.

* * *

 

## Part II

The Striaton Gym was a massive silver-grey building with several columns lining the outside. The symbol of a sideways pokeball melded into a triangle can be seen at the top.

Satoshi took in the sight of such a grand looking gym before, in excitement, slammed the doors open and announced his gym challenge

From behind him, White and Black exchanged amused glances upon seeing the restaurant inside and all the patrons glancing questioningly upon hearing Satoshi’s shout. Two of the waiters came over to greet them and showed the group to a table.

“How about some food? We have some good lunch items for a reasonable price,” said the red-haired waiter.

“Or if you want something to drink, how about our popular Psycho Soda?” The blue-haired waiter added.

Satoshi was taken aback by his previous announcement being ignored, “Uh, no I don’t want a Psycho Soda,” he replied, trying to wave them off.

But the two waiters continued to throw out more recommendations and suggestions that Satoshi should order something and White and Black could tell their friend was getting more and more annoyed.

The whispers around the café centered on what was happening at Satoshi’s table. The twins could hear them disparaging at how ‘uncool’ Satoshi was being.

White was just about to step in to dispel the apparent miscommunication when Satoshi put it to rest when he exasperatedly shouted out that he wasn’t here to eat but to have a gym battle.

The atmosphere in the café immediately changed when the patrons all started clamoring about seeing another gym battle, leaving Satoshi confused and frustrated enough to try and leave when Dent’s voice stopped him.

“Wait a moment! If it’s a gym battle you want, then we’ll give you one.”

Satoshi was confused, “huh?” He turned around and saw Dent standing in front him, having changed into a similar waiter outfit.

The green haired boy and the two other waiters started walking in perfect sync to the back of the restaurant where they began a coordinated show, complete with spotlights.

“I didn’t realize you were a challenger,” the red-haired one shouted. “Prepare for a sizzling red hot battle with me, Gym Leader Pod!”

“No, I think we should greet our challenger with a cool welcome,” said the blue-haired one.

“Well, whichever way we go, we will put on a dazzling performance for our guest of course,” said Dent, and he snapped his fingers.

On cue, three of them struck elegant poses and announced in unison, “It’s show time!”

Right behind them, the wall began to move and lower into the floor. All around the café, there were cheers going off, mostly from the girls who then ran off into the side doors to enter the gym.

Satoshi was stunned by the incredible sight. Dent and those waiters were Gym Leaders? White and Black started to follow the crowd of spectators but stopped to let Satoshi know they’ll be cheering for him in the battle.

“Good luck on your gym match,” Black offered.

“Thanks guys,” Satoshi said, “I’ll definitely win.”

“Pi-Pika,” Pikachu said determinedly.

“Sorry for the confusion earlier,” Dent said, coming up to Satoshi after the siblings left. “My brothers, Pod, Corn, and I are the Gym Leaders of Striaton Gym but we also own and operate a café.”

“So all three of you are Gym Leaders?” Satoshi asked, eyeing the three of them.

“That’s right!” Pod spoke up and he held up a pokeball, “I think it’s time I introduce you to the pokemon I battle with.”

He whipped it into the air out jumped a little monkey with a red tuft on its head.

“Pansear!” The pokemon said, jumping up and down.

Next to Pod, his brother also drew out a pokemon and threw it horizontally, “Corn uses this pokemon!” 

Out popped out another monkey but with a light blue colouring, a funnel on its head, and called out “Panpour!”

Dent stepped forward and took out his pokeball, “you’ve seen Dwebble but here’s my vintage partner and an official gym pokemon.” With a flourish nearly identical to when he released his Dwebble, Dent threw his pokeball high into the air.

This time a green monkey landed out of the pokeball with a plant on its head, “Pansage!” The green pokemon chirped.

Utterly fascinated by the sight of three pokemon looking similar to each other, Satoshi took out his pokedex and scanned each of them.

_“Pansear, the High Temp Pokemon. Pansear lives in caves near volcanoes. The temperature on the tuft on its head can reach 600 degrees when it’s angry.”_

_“Panpour, the Spray Pokemon. Panpour lived in forests long ago, but developed a body that makes it easy to live near water. It can store water in the tufts on its head.”_

_“Pansage, the Grass Monkey Pokemon. Pansage offers leaves on its head to Pokemon that have low energy. The leaves relieve stress.”_

“So Satoshi,” Dent piped up, “Your partner is Pikachu right? Then you get to choose whom to battle, and if you win against them, you get the badge. So who will you battle?”

Satoshi looked from one pokemon the next with a contemplative look before straightening up and pointing at the triples, “I want to battle all three of you!”

“EH?!”

Confusion sounded throughout the gym from both the gym leaders and the spectators. Black and White wore identical looks of shock as they watched the conversation from afar.

“You want to battle all three of us?” Pod exclaimed.

“Yeah, I just came to Unova and I want to experience all types of battles and meet all kinds of new Pokemon,” Satoshi explained, “So I want to battle all three of you to get the best kind of experience, and that is important to me. Can we do it?”

“Pi Pi,” Pikachu said, supporting his trainer.

“Well this is an interesting request,” Dent mused and turned to his brothers, “what do you think?”

“He’s got guts, I like it!” Pod answered swiftly.

“How about a best two out of three battle?” Corn suggested.

“That will be great! Thank you!” Satoshi said.

“Then, we’ll give you a few minutes to get ready and then we’ll start the match,” Dent directed.

Satoshi agreed and the four of them went in opposite directions around Striaton Gym’s rock filled battlefield.

“Satoshi has Pidove, Pikachu, and Tepig,” Black mused from his spot in the gallery section. White was glancing at the other audience members, who had changed into orange cheerleader outfits, with disbelief. Just when did that happen?

She turned her attention back to her brother and responded, “I can’t believe Satoshi plans to battle all three, he’s made it much harder to get his first badge.”

“I’m sure he has a plan,” said Black, “and his type match-ups definitely give him options to work with.”

White stared straight at Satoshi who was kneeling at the challenger area and petting Pikachu, “I wonder which one he’ll use first.”

“You will be facing me, the great Gym Leader Pod, first!” Pod announced. His Pansear has already run onto the field, looking ready to fight.

“Sounds good to me,” Satoshi said confidently and threw his pokeball onto the field.

“You’re up Tepig!”

Tepig came bursting onto the field, looking ready to charge down the opponent.

“Tepig?” White exclaimed, “out of all of his options, this one makes the least sense!”

Dent stepped forward to the referee spot with Pansage standing next to him. Panpour and Corn stood a few steps back, waiting for their turn to battle.

“A fire type to challenge a fire type user like me huh?” Pod mused out loud, “You’re quite gutsy!”

“I already decided ahead of time that this one will battle in my first ever Unova gym match,” Satoshi responded. Tepig stamped the ground as though in agreement with its trainer.

“Alright, the first official match between Challenger Satoshi and Gym Leader Pod is about to start!” Dent announced, “it will be a one-on-one match with no substitutions, and… Begin!”

The twins observed the ensuing match intently. White was gasping and wincing in pain every time one of Pansear’s more powerful fire moves made a direct hit on Tepig. At one point though, Satoshi went the unconventional route and told Tepig to grab onto Pansear’s tail and Tepig managed to dive into the hole to follow Pansear, who was using Dig at the time.

A few tense moments passed as they waited for either pokemon to emerge from the ground. Then a strange sight appeared when Pansear burst into the air shouting in pain from Tepig clamping onto its tail. Neither Black nor White could believe their eyes and even Dent was taken aback.

Pod didn’t know what to make of it and all he could say was to try and shake Tepig off but instead Tepig found its footing and threw Pansear off, colliding with a rock, causing Pod to wince.

Satoshi started the next barrage of attacks that ended with a vicious Tackle, strong enough that both Pokemon flew off the battlefield and into the concrete wall. The strong force finally knocked Pansear out.

After a moment, Dent declared Tepig the winner, who immediately trotted back to Satoshi with head held high.

White was nearly vibrating against the railing in excitement at the outcome of the match while the rest of the audience groaned unhappily that Pod lost.

“Wow, I would never have expected a battle like that,” White burst out. “Satoshi and Tepig won!”

“His Tepig was really determined to win, and I think that’s what decided the match,” said Black in contemplation, “I wonder if Tepig was eager to show that it can battle.”

“Maybe because it was abandoned by its previous trainer…” White trailed off, then started fuming, “ooh when I get my hands on that Suwama, I’m gonna-“

“The second match will be between Challenger Satoshi and Gym Leader Corn!” Dent announced the next line-up. It was one win so far for Satoshi and he needed one more to get the badge.

“Hmmm… the next match is against Panpour, so… Pidove, I choose you!” Satoshi threw a pokeball out and the little bird pokemon flew out with a chirp.

“Pika?” Pikachu said in shock. Corn, Pod, and Dent all stared in shock as well at the next choice that Satoshi made.

“A flying type against my Panpour?” Corn murmured in surprise. He usually doesn’t deal with flying types like Dent has to.

“Pidove? Wouldn’t Pikachu be the best choice against a water type?” White asked in surprise.

“Actually, this might be a smart decision,” said Black. “Corn, Pod, and Dent all specialize in type line-ups. They know how to take care of their weaknesses. Pidove might be a surprise choice, but because of that, Satoshi might have an advantage.”

“So Satoshi actually thought that far ahead?” White mused, a little impressed. Then another thought dawned on her, “you read up on Dent, Corn, and Pod’s specialization didn’t you? Is that how you knew they are actually better against type disadvantage?”

A light pink blush appeared on Black’s cheeks, “sort of.” He admitted quietly, “I found that out quite recently actually.” 

White smiled. Her brother was opening up a little and she was overjoyed to see it.

Back on the field, Satoshi apologized to Pikachu, “Sorry buddy, but if that Panpour uses Dig as well, you might have a hard time and Pidove won’t have any trouble countering that move.” Pidove cooed in affirmation.

“Pi Pika,” Pikachu said, a little dejected but understood his trainer’s thinking.

Dent raised his arm, “The battle between Panpour and Pidove will now begin!”

Satoshi made the first move, “Pidove, use Quick Attack!” Pidove flew with great speed, making a beeline right for Panpour.

Corn immediately countered, “quick Panpour, aim at Pidove with Water Gun!”

Panpour released a stream of water along the exact same height that Pidove was rushing at and Satoshi quickly got Pidove to fly up and away from the blast.

But Corn wasn’t done yet and snapped his fingers, “aim your Water Gun above Pidove!” Panpour tilted its head up high and the water went arching above Pidove, causing Pidove to fly lower and away from the blast. Then Panpour shot out stream after stream lower and lower and finally caught up to Pidove and made a hit.

Satoshi gasped as he watched Pidove get pushed onto the ground, “Pidove are you alright?”

Pidove got up and flew back into the air without a problem to Satoshi’s relief. So he decided to change tactics, “use Air Cutter!”

Pidove flapped its wings, creating strong winds, and released air blades towards Panpour, and Corn immediately countered again with Double Team. Panpour made copies of itself and the Air Cutter attack hit all the copies.

In the chaos of wind and dust and numerous Panpour copies, Pidove and Satoshi did not see the real Panpour materialize behind Pidove. Corn called for it to use Scratch and Panpour struck, hitting Pidove a few times and sent Pidove crashing into the rocky ground.

“Now use Mud Sport!” Corn directed without wasting another moment.

Panpour gracefully landed on its feet and raised its arms, they glowed red as the water monkey slammed them into the ground. A wave of mud rose up and traveled down to Pidove still lying on the ground. The mud covered the little bird and got into its wings, head, stomach… everywhere.

“Oh no, Pidove is covered in mud,” Satoshi said, realization dawning on him that now Pidove will have a hard time getting back into the air.

Corn doesn’t waste another second and called for Panpour to use Water Gun. This time the move hit Pidove dead on, crashing straight into a boulder. Satoshi and Pikachu both winced at the impact, and when the smoke cleared, Pidove was knocked out.

Dent quickly saw the results and raised his arm up, “Pidove is unable to battle! The winner of this battle is… Gym Leader Corn!”

The crowd went wild in excitement at Corn’s victory and began chanting his name and Panpour’s, accompanied by dreamy looks directed at all three Gym Leaders. White and Black stayed silent, both of them pondering over the fact that now Satoshi has to win the last battle or lose the gym challenge.

Satoshi ran out onto the gym floor to check on his Pidove with Pikachu right at his heels. He gently lifted the little bird; Pidove seemed to be all right albeit covered in mud and dirt.

“Thanks for your hard work,” Satoshi murmured comfortingly. Pidove cooed back weakly and Satoshi recalled it back into his pokeball. “You deserve a good long rest.”

“Pika pi!” Pikachu piped up urgently waving his arms and Satoshi nodded: it was time for the final battle.

Dent’s voice flowed over to them, “I can see that you have a strong bond with your all your pokemon and you battle with lots of flavor.”

Despite the pressure he was facing now, Satoshi was pleased by his compliments and responded with “Thank you, and I’ve been looking forward to having a rematch with you, Dent.”

“Rematch huh?” Dent mused, “that’s right, you faced my Dwebble last time. Well, are you ready to face my number one partner then?”

“Pan pan sage!” Pansage cheered from the battlefield.

Satoshi smiled widely, “then get ready to face my number one partner too. Pikachu, you’re up!”

“Pikachu!” Pikachu cried, rushing out onto the field in determination, facing Pansage.

Corn took up the referee spot, noting that both Dent and Satoshi looked ready to start the battle.

“The final match will be between Gym Leader Dent and Challenger Satoshi. It is Pansage versus Pikachu… and begin!”

Satoshi made the first move, “Let’s start with Quick Attack!”

Pikachu surged forward swiftly. Dent responded with, “Pansage, use Bullet Seed!”

Multiple green glowing seeds shot of out Pansage’s mouth and aimed directly at Pikachu but Pikachu swiftly moved side to side and dodged them all. He finally reached Pansage and collided with the grass monkey, knocking Pansage backwards.

Pansage nearly lost balance but regained it, nimbly flipping backwards onto a rock.

“Not bad, your Pikachu has a boiling fast taste,” Dent commented.

“Pan pan,” Pansage said, a little less happy to be hit.

Satoshi didn’t waste another moment and called out his next order, “use Thunderbolt, Pikachu!”

“Piiikaaachuuuuu!” Pikachu shouted, letting loose a powerful bolt that hit Pansage dead on.

But Dent didn’t look worried, “Satoshi, I think you forgot something.”

“Huh?” Satoshi said, taken aback.

“Grass types are resistant to electric attacks.”

The Thunderbolt faded and Pansage endured it but didn’t look too fazed by the attack. Pikachu looked a bit taken aback that all his effort didn’t do much but Satoshi was determined not to let it get to him. “Don’t worry Pikachu,” he comforted his partner, “Pansage still took damage from that attack, it’s just not as strong as it should be.”

Dent grinned, “that’s right, but type advantage is still an important part of battling. I have seen a lot of you and Pikachu battle together and I have to say, you have a perfect bond!”

“However, type advantage and disadvantage is still an explosive flavor that can affect the outcome of any match and I’ll show you why: Pansage, use Dig!”

Satoshi gasped, “So Pansage knows Dig too!”

Pansage burrowed its way into the ground and Pikachu looked every which way trying to spot where Pansage was going to come from. Satoshi suddenly had an idea.

“Pikachu, get on top of a rock, hurry!”

“Pi!” Pikachu turned and rushed to find a boulder but before he could make the leap, Pansage burst out right from beneath Pikachu and slammed into Pikachu quite hard.

“Pikachu!” Satoshi cried and the electric mouse flew through the air, landing looking a bit battered and bruised. Satoshi asked if he could get up and with some effort, Pikachu managed to stand on four legs again, looking ready for the next move.

“Dig is a ground type move and super effective against electric types,” Dent explained. “Type advantage moves can easily change the taste of a battle from sweet to sour in an instance! Not to mention type resistance can add that extra hint of spice that you wouldn’t expect in your dish!”

“All this food talk is making me hungry…” White grumbled from above. Black buried a grin at his sister’s groaning.

Down below, Dent was finishing his exposition, “but enough bout that, I am going to add my greatest spice to this dish: Pansage, turn the sun into power!” 

Pansage faced upwards at the sunroof of the gym, its leafy head began to sparkle with energy.

“Is that what I think it is?” White gasped, and Black also straightened up, in shock by the sight.

“No way,” he whispered, “Dent’s Pansage has learned…”

“SOLAR BEAM!” Dent announced, and Pansage let loose a bright gold orb from the top of its head that became a powerful beam of energy.

Satoshi immediately screamed, “PIKACHU USE IRON TAIL NOW!”

Pikachu’s tail began to harden into silver and he swung his tail just as the golden energy reached him. The resulting explosion rocked the gym with the sound of the impact alone and dust kicked up everywhere. Satoshi shielded himself from the blast, feeling helpless and wondering if Pikachu could still stand from that powerful blast.

A second energy beam of light was suddenly seen from high up and it fizzled up into the ceiling. Then the dust cleared and Pikachu could be seen panting hard from the effort but still standing upright and facing towards Satoshi’s side. His tail was sticking out, no longer metallic.

For one long moment, everyone was frozen at the outcome, staring in shock that Pikachu was still standing after that blast. Then Satoshi reacted with a cheer, “You did it Pikachu!”

“W-wow, he was able to deflect that blast?” Pod said in shock. Corn shook his shoulders helplessly as an answer.

Dent blinked in astonishment, this was a trainer who definitely had something different from other challengers. He and his Pikachu were showcasing a bond beyond his imagination! It was a spectacular feat to witness: that Satoshi and Pikachu have countered in the unconventional and yet, through their combined determination, was able to pull off what most can only achieve in their dreams.

It was humbling, and Dent knew he had to admit defeat here. Not because Pikachu was way too powerful, no, but because their bond was so strong that not even Pansage’s strongest attack could shake them. His job both as a Gym Leader and as a Sommelier was complete; Satoshi had passed them both with flying colours.

His personal curiousity though was another matter altogether.

Satoshi completed the battle with having Pikachu land another quick attack and Pansage was knocked out. Corn called the match and announced Pikachu as the winner.

“Which means, this gym match goes to… Challenger Satoshi!”

Satoshi and Pikachu cheered simultaneously and so did White in the stands. Even Black couldn’t help but smile and Bijou hopped up and down on the railings also cheering as loud as she could.

At the side of the gym, Dent presented a velvet case that contained a long jagged badge with three sparkling jewels embedded into it.

“Congratulations Satoshi, this is the Trio Badge.”

“Wow, the Trio badge,” Satoshi said, picking up the badge and admiring it. He held it up to show his Pokemon their accomplishment, “we got the Trio Badge!”

“Pi Pikachu!” Pikachu echoed, and so did Tepig and Pidove.

Satoshi then turned to the stands to where Black and White watched the proceedings from the stands. “Black! White! I won my first badge!”

White slumped over, “I can’t believe you decided to challenge all three of them,” she moaned. “You could’ve won with just one battle!”

Satoshi chuckled, “Yeah but I wanted to battle all kinds of pokemon remember?”

Black looked thoughtful, “but if you only needed one battle, your choice should have been Pod.”

Now Satoshi looked confused, “well I did win against Pod…”

“I mean your best chances to win,” Black clarified. “Against Corn, both Pikachu and Tepig would’ve lost because the Striaton Brothers all specialize in type matchups, especially type disadvantages. With Dent, it’s even worse because he knows how to deal with both fire types and flying types, so your best bet would’ve been Pikachu only even with type disadvantage. So the only one where you had neither advantage nor disadvantage would’ve been Pod.”

Satoshi scratched his head, “I don’t think I really understand what you’re saying, Black.”

“He’s right though,” said Corn. “Our gym specializes in teaching type matching and we all know how to deal with type advantage and disadvantage. It’s what we teach new trainers.”

“You might not actually win or lose with those match-ups, but you’ll have better chances of winning them if you choose the right pokemon,” Black added.

“From what I’m getting though,” said White cheekily, “is that Satoshi actually got really lucky with his choices in type match-up.”

“Hey! It’s not luck!” Satoshi replied indignantly.

* * *

 

## Part III

White accompanied Satoshi to find the Pokecenter that Corn gave direction to while Black cited that he would catch up with them at the center in a little bit. He wanted to talk to the Striaton Triplets first. Satoshi was amazed by the fact that this Nurse Joy looked just like the one he encountered in Accumula Town, and Nurse Joy was equally amazed at the sight of a Pikachu in Unova.

As Nurse Joy wheeled away with Pikachu and the pokeballs, Satoshi turned to White with a curious look. “Why does Black need to talk to the Gym Leaders? Does he want to challenge the gym too?” He asked.

White’s eyes widened rather comically and, unexpectedly, she burst out laughing and couldn’t stop even as she tried to get out the words out to answer the question.

Satoshi was bewildered but stood waiting for his friend to stop laughing long enough to actually speak.

After a minute, White calmed enough to talk again, “no, no, Black is… he’s well… he’s a scholarly type and likes to read books about Pokemon. He was just telling me about how he read up on the Striaton Gym and what they teach to trainers.”

“Oh, like what he said earlier about choosing Pod to win my badge?” Satoshi asked with a little understanding.

“She’s right,” came a familiar voice from behind them. Satoshi and White whirled around and cried out upon seeing Dent standing in the PokeCenter.

Dent raised his hand in greeting, “Hello!”

“What are you doing here?” White asked in surprise.

“Don’t worry White, I’m actually here to see Satoshi.”

“Me?” Satoshi said, pointing to himself.

Dent nodded, “I wanted to ask you questions about the way you battle, it’s so unexpected! I’ve never seen something like that and I’ve battled many trainers, even the Champion.”

White grinned at uncertainly, but Satoshi was surprised and a little pleased by it. He agreed to talk to Dent and they went to a nearby table to sit down.

“Your battle today really amazed me and as a Pokemon Sommelier, I’m deeply fascinated by it,” Dent started, and then took a deep breath, to Satoshi’s confusion and White’s amusement. “I’m going to start off by asking… how do you train your pokemon? How did you get Pikachu to deflect that Solar Beam? What kind of blend of tastes do you use to produce such a harmonious bond with your pokemon? What flavor is your battling style? Where did you learn how to battle like that?”

With each question, Dent got closer and closer to Satoshi in his eagerness to ask them and stared at him for answers to every question. White could swear there were literal stars in the gym leader’s eyes.

Satoshi felt that he had to lean away or else their heads will bump into each other… and the questions are tough. He didn’t know what to say other than he just did what he could to win the battle.

“I… I don’t know,” Satoshi said slowly, eyes comically wide at Dent’s enthusiasm.

At that moment, all three of them heard a familiar ringing sound, signaling that the PokeCenter had finished taking care of sick or injured pokemon. Almost relieved by the interruption, Satoshi immediately rushed off to go see his Pikachu and the pokeballs containing his other two pokemon that Nurse Joy returned.

“Satoshi!” Nurse Joy called out, indicating his Pokemon were ready for pickup. When Satoshi reached the cart, he noticed that it was being wheeled by a large pink pokemon he has never seen before.

“Who is…” Satoshi trailed, staring at the gentle-looking pokemon who was wearing a nurse hat.

“That’s an Audino,” said Dent, coming up from behind them along with White. “They help Nurse Joy out at every Pokemon center and are great healers.”

Satoshi took out his pokedex to make the scan.

_Audino, the Hearing Pokemon. Audino can assess a pokemon’s overall physical condition and mood using its ears._

As Satoshi put his pokeballs away, the door to the Pokecenter opened and Black came bursting through in a panic. He was clutching something that glowed pink in his arms.

White took a closer look as Black ran by, ignoring them in favour of rushing to Nurse Joy’s desk, and gasped, it was Bijou who was glowing!

“Nurse Joy, something has happened to Bijou,” Black said worriedly. Nurse Joy stared at the glowing sleeping Oshawott in Black’s arms but before she could say a word, another woman also burst through the centre doors, followed by a floating pink sphere-link pokemon. She immediately noticed Bijou’s state and gasped, “Oh no! It’s already happening!”

“What is going on?” White demanded, “Can you help us?”

The woman nodded and turned to her pokemon, “Munna, can you please wake up that Oshawott?”

Munna floated over, opened its mouth and started inhaling the pink off of Bijou. Satoshi took out his pokedex to check on this new pokemon.

_Munna, the Dream Eater pokemon. Munna can eat the dreams of people and pokemon alike, and then protect those dreams by emitting dream mist from their body._

Munna finished inhaling all the pink dust and Bijou was no longer pink. It closed its mouth inaudibly and released a more brownish mist into the air, and the mist began to form an image.

“That’s… that must be Bijou’s dream,” Black said, and everyone looked up in awe as the dream took place: Dream-Bijou was running and then jumped up happily into Dream-Black’s arms.

At that moment, Bijou also woke up in time to see the rest of her own dream as it continued. In the dream, Dream-Bijou was happily playing with Dream-Black until she noticed another pokemon appear – a huge sinister green monkey that looked a little like Pansage, who was stomping over to them. Dream-Bijou immediately leaped from Dream-Black’s head and slammed into the overly large Pansage. The dream ended just as Dream-Bijou made a direct hit with a spout of water. Then the mist vanished.

“Osha sha!” Bijou exclaimed, waving her arms excitedly.

“That was Bijou’s dream, and in her dream she was battling for you Black,” White said.

Black looked down at the Oshawott in his arms. His Bijou dreamt about fighting against other pokemon? He wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“Was that pokemon Pansage?” Satoshi wondered.

“No,” said Dent, shaking his head, “and it wasn’t Pansage’s evolved form Simisage either. I think the dream just warped Pansage into something larger than life. Sometimes our dreams make things look bigger and scarier than they are in real life.”

“Okay,” Satoshi said, accepting that explanation. He turned to the woman and Munna. “Thank you for your help, Miss…?”

“Oh! Where are my manners, I am Professor Makomo,” said the woman, curtseying. “I am sometimes known as the Dream Maiden because I do research on the mysterious powers of pokemon, specifically dreams, and this is Munna.” She gestured to her pokemon. “I came here because Munna has been sensing a disturbance in the air and it might be coming from the old destroyed Dreamyard.”

“I think that’s the pink mist that put Bijou to sleep,” said Black and he pointed at the door. “It’s all over the town.”

“What?” Professor Makomo exclaimed.

Outside, there was a layer of pink shimmering mist that covered the town. Satoshi, Black, White, and Dent stood gazing at the shimmers in amazement.

“This is incredible,” Satoshi breathed.

“This light put Bijou to sleep,” said Black.

“This was produced by Musharna’s dream smoke,” Professor Makomo said.

“Musharna?” Satoshi questioned.

“That’s Munna’s evolved form isn’t it?” Dent added.

“Yes.”

Satoshi took out his pokedex to search for the name.

_Musharna, the Drowsing pokemon and the evolved form of Munna. The mist from its forehead takes the form of things present in the dreams it has eaten._

On the screen showed a pokemon curled into an oval shape with its eyes closed and had a pink head and a purple body. The image switched to an awake version where it had a snout and four legs like Munna and large red eyes.

“Musharna, like Munna, is able to eat dreams and project them as smoke,” Professor Makomo explained.

Just then, a police car pulled up in front of the group and a woman stepped out, calling to them.

“Officer Junsa!” Dent said in surprise. Officer Junsa walked past him and right up to Satoshi, “Return your pokemon to its pokeball immediately!”

“Eh? Pika?” Satoshi and Pikachu simultaneously exclaimed.

“Throughout the city, a strange phenomenon is going around in that Pokemon bathed in this light will fall asleep immediately.”

“So kind of like Sleep Powder?” White piped up. Junsa immediately swiveled towards her, and noticed Black carrying Bijou. “You there! You need to return your Oshawott too!”

Black blinked, and stared down at his partner as if the notion of putting her back into a pokeball was ridiculous.

“Uh, the thing is…” said Satoshi, gaining Officer Junsa’s attention again, “is that Pikachu dislikes going inside a Pokeball.”

“Eh?” Dent and White responded in surprise.

“I didn’t know that was the reason,” said White. “Black here just doesn’t enjoy keeping his pokemon in a pokeball so he carries Bijou around.

“Your name is Black?” Officer Jun said, looking at Black, and then looked at White. “Have I seen you two before?”

“Uh,” White waved her hand erratically, “I don’t think you have? We work for Professor Juniper…”

“Ah, Professor Juniper was my friend from college! I know her pretty well.” Professor Makomo exclaimed. She stepped over and took Satoshi’s hat off and transferred it to Pikachu.

“Pika?” Pikachu said inquisitively, holding onto the hat.

“It’s a temporary countermeasure: it will block the mist from reaching your pokemon’s head and you’ll be okay,” said Professor Makomo.

Black thought for a moment, he couldn’t put Bijou in his bag as it was occupied by his egg, but perhaps…

“Bijou, I’m going to wrap my jacket around you to protect you from the mist alright?”

Bijou nodded, understanding the situation, and Black grabbed the sides of his white sleeveless jacket and wrapped it around Bijou and held tight. The mist would land on his head and face instead of Bijou’s with how pressed close they were to each other.

“Will Munna be okay?” Dent checked.

“Yes,” Professor Makomo nodded, looking over at Munna, whose flower patterns were glowing pink but showed no signs of the mist affecting it. “Munna and this light are being drawn to each other.”

Officer Junsa agreed to take them to investigate the source of the dream mist, as Munna and Professor Makomo would be the top experts on solving the problem. Satoshi immediately wanted to come along and so did his two companions. Dent also declared that as one of the resident gym leaders, it was his duty to help.

Officer Junsa agreed and all of them crammed into the back of her car, albeit a little bit squished, but Junsa assured them it would be a short journey since the key to solving the mystery is at the Dream Site and it’s only just outside of the city.

As they drove to through town, Dent asked, “by Dream Site, you mean the ruins right? I mean, I heard there was a huge explosion some years ago.”

“Yes,” said Professor Makomo. “Those are the remains of the Pokemon Energy Laboratory. It was there that research on how the smoke that Musharna produces after eating dreams can be turned into energy we can use and I was part of that research team.”

“Turning dreams into energy?” White echoed.

“If we had completed the research,” Professor Makomo continued, “we would have been able to produce the ultimate clean energy. After all, the base of the energy was the dreams that pokemon and humans had. However… people began arriving at the facility, claiming their rights to the energy. Their ambitions were also dreams in a way and Musharna absorbed their greed-filled thoughts, and was unable to dispose of the swelling dreams and… the energy was too much… it overflowed all the systems. Musharna… disappeared in the explosion of the laboratory.”

White and Black made simultaneous noises of pain at hearing that.

“So that’s why I stopped researching,” Professor Makomo said sadly, “and I moved away from the city after Musharna disappeared. But because Munna senses something back here, and this light… it means Musharna must still be alive somewhere. I have to find Musharna.”

Officer Junsa pulled into the ruins site where a strange pink glow was emanating strongly. Three shadowy figures stood in the center of the ruins observing the site with their laptops open and a strange machine with panels was being operated.

“The police?!” The unknown trio exclaimed as the group rushed to disembark the car and confront the troublemakers.

“Wait a minute, what are you guys doing?” Officer Junsa demanded.

“We’re searching for the lingering fragrance of dreams,” one of the figures in trench coats answered. His voice sounded very familiar to Satoshi, Black, and White.

“That machine! It increases the energy remaining here!” Professor Makomo said upon noticing the strange contraption behind them.

“That’s right,” said the woman in the black trench coat.

“Just who are you guys?” Officer Junsa asked.

“When you ask us who we are…”

“The answer we give is for the sake of tomorrow!”

“Oh no,” White said, shaking her head, “oh no oh no,” just as the three criminals threw off their trench coats. It was Team Rocket once again!

“And here I thought I wouldn’t have to see them for a while,” she moaned as Team Rocket geared up their motto once again as Dent, Professor Makomo, and Officer Jun look on with shock in their faces.

“Future! The white future wears the colour of evil!” said Musashi.

“Universe! The black world receives the iron hammer of justice!” said Koujirou.

“We write our names onto this Earth!” said Meowth.

“The passionate destroyer, Musashi!”

“The pure heart of darkness, Koujirou!”

“The infinite intelligence, Meowth!”

“Now, gather in the name of Team Rocket!”

“Team Rocket?” Officer Junsa said, perplexed. “Why is an organization from the Kanto Region in the Unova Region?”

“Trust me, I’ve been asking that question for a while,” White grumbled.

“Our project to begin taking control of Unova region has started,” Musashi declared. That statement caused Black to straighten up and file that information away to remember later.

Koujirou continued, “The energy here at this Dream Site will be fully revived by Team Rocket!”

“And we won’t forgive anyone who interferes!” Meowth said, pointing at the group threateningly.

“I can’t believe people are still trying to take advantage of using dreams…” Professor Makomo said in disbelief.

“Professor, maybe Musharna could have tried to let us know about this through Munna?” Dent speculated.

It was a good suggestion, and it demonstrated just how observant Dent was when Munna nodded in answer to his speculation.

The ground suddenly began to shake and pink bolts of energy burst out of the ground. A purple bubble formed around the site and a loud cry was heard echoing through. Professor Makomo recognized it immediately, “Musharna!” she cried.

Team Rocket heard her though and realized it was the pokemon that was the source of all the dream energy. They resolved to capture the new pokemon for themselves.

Musharna appeared in a burst of light in front of everyone and the Professor was so overjoyed to see her beloved pokemon again. But just as she and Munna ran out to greet Musharna, they were nearly struck by a beam of blue energy.

“We’ll be taking Musharna,” said Koujirou in smug satisfaction as he manipulated the controller in his hand.

A line of energy burst out of Team Rocket’s dream-sucking contraption and encased Musharna, pulling the startled Dream Eater pokemon backwards.

“No! Let Musharna go! Please stop this!” Professor Makomo cried.

“Musharna belongs to Team Rocket now,” Musashi tutted.

“We won’t forgive you if you interfere,” her partner-in-crime, Koujirou, added.

White ran forward, unable to take this anymore and was about to reach for a pokeball, but Satoshi was a step ahead, taking his hat off Pikachu and launching him into the air.

“Use Volt Tackle!” Satoshi called, and Pikachu immediately charged forward, engulfed in yellow electricity, making a beeline for the machine. Koujirou continued to shoot laser energy at Pikachu but Pikachu was able to dodge them all.

It was at this moment that Professor Makomo pulled herself together and got Munna to use Psychic on the machine, giving Pikachu the perfect opportunity to bash into the machine and destroyed it completely.

Musharna was freed and the strange pink energy waves began to recede from around them. Black breathed a sigh of relief and released Bijou from his clothing and she hopped to the floor with a cheer.

But Musashi didn’t waste a second and released her Woobat, commanding it to use Gust, which brought up clouds of dust. White, Dent, and Satoshi ran forward and gasped in unison when the dust settled: Team Rocket had made their escape.

“They’re gone again,” said White.

“Don't worry about those guys,” Satoshi replied, turning around knowingly. “The important thing is that Professor Makomo has finally reunited with her Musharna.”

Dent watched as the Professor and her Munna hugged Musharna with joyful tears and he was moved, “Ah, what a valuable reunion this is! The Professor and Musharna: their hearts connected with each other and weave into true harmony!”

White, Black, and Satoshi all exchanged pleased smiles, and even Officer Junsa had to smile at the scene and decided that the case was closed for now.

When they returned to Striaton city, the sun was starting to set. Dent insisted on inviting the three of them back to their gym/café to have a meal and stay the night. All for free.

“Dent, you don’t have to do that, we can just stay at the Pokemon Centre!” White protested at such a generous offer.

“No, White, it’s the least we can do for you,” said Dent. “And I know my brothers will agree because Corn was the one who brought it up and you don’t want to disappoint Corn.”

Satoshi was just happy at the offer to have a free meal and board with great gym leaders, and Black silently agreed with White but let her and Dent handle it. She thought for a moment and relented.

They all returned to the Pokemon Center where Corn and Pod were closing the café to the public but welcomed the three of them warmly. Dent went to explain to his brothers what had happened and they seated Satoshi, White, and Black, to get ready for dinner.

“This is delicious!” Satoshi exclaimed, taking a bit of the puff pastries that were prepared fresh.

“I’m honoured by your praise,” Dent replied, taking a bow.

“Wait till you see what I have prepared for the main course!” Pod interjected, “it’ll be hot and fresh!”

Corn was on the other side of the table serving tea to the twins. White took a sip and blissfully sighed, “Striaton Gym’s tea is always so good.”

Black nodded, “Thank you for the meal, Corn.” He said, holding up his teacup for another refill.

“No need for thanks,” said Corn as he refilled Black’s teacup and then Bijou’s, “though I’ll admit we also invited you back for another reason.”

“What?” White said, sitting up straight in her chair, “what reason?”

“Well the three of us wanted to… apologize,” said Dent, fidgeting a little. “We are sorry we couldn’t be of more help to the two of you.”

“Oh,” said White, though she actually had no idea what they meant. She looked to her brother who also looked a bit confused by Dent’s words as well.

“Why? What’s the apology for?” Satoshi piped up, “Did Black ask you guys a question you couldn’t answer earlier?”

Dent looked to his two brothers for help, as he didn’t know exactly how to answer and Corn stepped up. “It’s not exactly something he asked for, but we weren’t able to help him with it anyways…”

That didn’t clear up anything, in fact, all three of them got more confused.

“I still don’t get it,” Satoshi said, scratching his head. Pikachu mimicked his trained in confusion as well.

“Me neither,” said White. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Never mind!” Pod said loudly, “The point is, we want to help you guys out this time when we couldn’t do it before.”

Satoshi was satisfied enough by that answer, or maybe he decided to just drop the subject, and returned to the delicious meal. While Black and White exchanged glances of continued confusion, they decided to also drop it and just enjoy the rest of their time in Striaton Gym.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation: Original -> Dub  
> Dent = Cilan  
> Pod = Chili  
> Corn = Cress (I’ll admit I like their dubbed names way more)  
> Officer Junsa = Officer Jenny  
> Professor Makomo = Professor Fennel (she is not a regional professor)
> 
> \- Dent is a favourite of mine due to the anime and I especially love his Dwebble so they got a slightly bigger role and to showcase the Sommelier class a bit more  
> \- Thanks for reading!


	9. No Break to Catch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which gender is actually an important game-changing factor to consider, and an important realization is made.

The morning was a bright and cheery one as Satoshi, Black, and White set off on the road out of Striaton City.

As Satoshi walked, he was feeling especially cheerful that he had won his first badge, and was already looking forward to his next one.

“So where do we go from here to get my next badge?” He asked them eagerly.

White thought for a moment, “I believe that would be Nacrene City,” she said. “It’s the next closest city and it has a gym.”

“Great! Then Nacrene City, here we come!” Satoshi declared.

“Pi Pika!” Pikachu echoed with the same level of enthusiasm from his usual spot on Satoshi’s shoulder once again.

Bijou waved her arms happily from where she climbed up to Black’s shoulder. White stared at the Oshawott for a moment, remembering the pokemon’s dream yesterday. She resolved to find a moment to talk to Black about letting Bijou have a pokemon battle sometime, though that was a conversation she was not looking forward to.

The three of them continued their way down the winding path that would take them to the next city.

After a moment though, Satoshi’s stomach started to grumble and he put a hand to it in embarrassment, “Ah, I’m hungry…”

His companions both stopped walking as well upon hearing the growling noises. White barked out a laugh, “Well it’s already noon, should we stop and have lunch?”

Satoshi nodded quickly, “Yeah!” But then he looked around, all he could see are trees and grass, “uh where are we going to find food? I don’t see any PokeCenters nearby.”

White held up her bag, “Luckily for you, I asked Corn this morning for some food ingredients.”

“Good idea!” Satoshi said before realizing what she said, “Wait, food ingredients? Can you cook with them?”

“Nope,” said White cheerfully, “I’m not very good at cooking.”

Satoshi’s jaw dropped, and Pikachu inched back, looking wary.

“But Black can!”

Satoshi and Pikachu instantly brightened, turning to look at the male sibling in earnest.

“Hey!” Black protested, “You can’t just volunteer me to cook!”

“Oh come on,” White said, already pulling out items from her bag, “You and I both know you’re the better cook.”

“Well, I guess…”

“So here, or else we will starve,” the brunette shoved her brother towards the setup of a portable stove and food baskets laid out around it.

With Satoshi, Pikachu, and his sister all staring at him with hopeful eyes, Black sighed and set Bijou down, “Fine.” The rest of the group cheered with Bijou joining in because she thought it was fun.

Black rolled his eyes, donned a white apron, and got to work.

Satoshi and White also worked, unpacking their travel sets to form tables and chairs before sitting down to wait for Black to finish cooking.

Soon, an enticing smell wafted over the two and White sighed in bliss, “I really miss his cooking…”

“Wow, it smells so good,” Satoshi said, also sighing in bliss. “Where did Black learn to cook?”

“Our mom tried to teach us when we were kids,” White answered, “and I… wasn’t too good at it. I can bake cookies but that was the extent of my skills in the kitchen. But he picked it up pretty quickly.”

That got Satoshi all excited for the food to arrive.

Black turned off the burner of the stove and lifted a plate up. He brought it over to the dining table. “So uh… these are some mini pancakes that I fried and grounded with berries and added a few… spices… I hope they taste okay?”

“They smell wonderful Black,” Satoshi said kindly before he eagerly reached out to pick one up and bit into it. His eyes lit up, “These are good!”

Black looked a little relieved, “I’m glad. I am a bit out of practice with cooking…”

“You’ve still got it, little brother,” White reassured, happily chewing on her food.

“How is it Pikachu?” Satoshi asked his beloved partner. Pikachu answered with a blissed out sound as he ate his portion. Bijou was next to him and eating hers with an identical look of bliss on her face.

“I also have a plate of...” Black reached out to another plate on the table and then saw that it was empty save for a lettuce leaf. He stared at the plate with a perplexed look adorning his face, “what?”

White noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I had another plate of fried berry tarts here, but it’s empty.”

“What?” Satoshi yelped, pushing his chair back with a force that shook the tables. “The food can’t be gone!”

Black jumped, startled by Satoshi’s food-fuelled outrage, and gestured to the empty table, “Yeah they were here. I know I made two dishes.”

Satoshi started looking around their little campsite to see if the food had fallen somewhere when he heard a rustling noise. He got up and noticed White also blinking in confusion in the direction of the tall grass, which meant she heard it too.

Pikachu’s ears twitched and he jumped off the table to investigate the disturbance and Satoshi quickly followed. Both of them started wading through the tall blades of grass in pursuit of the rustling and White and Black had no choice but to follow

They came upon tiny clearing in the grass and spotted a small green pokemon standing on two legs and eating a puff of pastry.

“Who is that Pokemon?” Satoshi wondered quietly, taking out his Pokedex.

_Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokemon. Cool, calm, and collected, Snivy uses photosynthesis to collect energy with the leaf on its tail._

“Awesome, I want to catch it,” Satoshi immediately decided, and drew out a pokeball.

He threw the ball just as the twins ran in and saw the pokemon Satoshi wanted to catch. “Wait, stop!” White called, but it was too late as the ball hit the Snivy and opened up.

The twins were bewildered upon seeing Snivy go into the ball. The pokeball wiggled for a couple of moments but then opened up again and Snivy reappeared, whipping the pokeball back to Satoshi with a smug smile. Then the pokemon escaped into the grass.

“So that Snivy was a wild one?” said White, perplexed. “That’s so strange. Satoshi, Snivy is the third starter that Professor Juniper gives out to trainers. I don’t recognize this particular Snivy but you don’t usually just find one running around.”

“It went into Satoshi’s pokeball though, so it must be wild,” Black pointed out.

“Yeah! And I definitely want a grass type pokemon like that Snivy,” Satoshi said, his excitement building up in momentum and without wasting another moment, he ran into the same patch of grass that Snivy took off into.

White and Black exchanged fond but exasperated grins.

“As energetic as always,” White quipped.

“Oshaa!” Bijou agreed from her perch on Black’s shoulder.

In the next clearing, the siblings found Satoshi engaged in a battle with Pikachu. The Snivy easily evaded Pikachu’s Quick Attack with a swift grace that none of them would’ve expected from a wild pokemon.

“It looks like Snivy is taunting you” White commented.

“What?” Satoshi growled, annoyed.

Black looked thoughtful, “That Snivy might be wild but it has the experience of a capable battler. I think it might have been a trained pokemon once.”

“And unlike Tepig, Snivy doesn’t seem to be worried about not having a trainer,” White agreed.

At that moment, Pikachu was charging up for a Thunderbolt attack when the Snivy blinked its eyes and hearts came floating out and circled Pikachu before shrinking into his body. Pikachu immediately stopped moving and was dancing back and forth with hearts in his eyes.

“Huh? What’s wrong Pikachu?” Satoshi asked.

“It looks like he’s been hit by Attract,” Black replied.

“Eh?”

“It’s a move that affects and immobilises pokemon of the opposite gender,” White explained, “and since it’s affecting Pikachu… that Snivy must be female.”

Snivy released green vines from her neck, readying her Vine Whip attack and slapped Pikachu in the face. She was ready to continue attacking but at that moment, Satoshi ran to his partner and shielded him from the assault. 

“Pikapi,” Pikachu said, looking up at Satoshi in worry as he endured the hits.

“Are you okay?” Satoshi asked gently.

Black noticed the Snivy seemed to be frozen in shock and staring at what was happening. He remembered how shocked he himself was at Satoshi’s reckless actions as well and didn’t fault the pokemon for being taken aback by it. Satoshi acted careless, but he cared an awful lot about his pokemon.

Snivy spun around in a whirlwind of leaves and disappeared.

“That Snivy isn’t a wild one,” Black confirmed, staring at the crater of dust the pokemon left behind. “Or at least, she definitely isn’t your average Snivy. She knows Attract, which is not usual, and Leaf Storm which is a very high-level move.”

“Could she be a pokemon who abandoned her trainer?” White suggested.

“What do you mean by that?” Satoshi asked in surprise.

“Snivy are pokemon who are generally known for their intelligence and calm demeanor… a little bit like Black actually,” White explained.

“Not really…” Black said, sulking a little by the comparison.

“But they’re also known for being a regal and proud evolutionary line… which is different from Black actually,” White said, teasingly. “But joking aside, that Snivy may have deemed her previous trainer as being unfit and abandoned them. I’ve heard of it happening but I never saw it happen before.”

Satoshi grinned, “Well if that’s the case, then I’m even more motivated! I’m definitely going to get that one!”

Pikachu shook himself to wake up, ready to back his trainer up whenever necessary.

Satoshi threw a pokeball into the air, “Pidove! Let’s look for that Snivy!”

Pidove emerged from the blue light and with a determined coo, took to the skies, and Satoshi ran ahead. This time, White and Black stayed closely behind and Black quickly took Bijou into his arms to keep her from flying off his shoulder.

The three humans and Pikachu came to a stop when they saw Satoshi’s Pidove circling ahead of them, chirping excitedly. Satoshi immediately knew that Pidove has found Snivy and called for it to guide him, which Pidove responded and flew on.

“You go on first Satoshi, we’ll catch up,” White said, making a shooing motion and Satoshi didn’t need any further encouragement.

The two of them ran ahead and came upon a cliff full of large boulders and Satoshi spotted Snivy standing on the top glaring at him and Pikachu with her hooded eyes, “Sni vyyy,” she said in annoyance.

“Snivy!” Satoshi called to the pokemon, “Can we have another match?”

“Pika pika pi!” Pikachu dutifully translated his trainer’s question in support.

They began climbing the cliff and found that boulders were crashing towards them so they scrambled to avoid them. When they reached the top, Snivy was already walking away.

“You won’t get rid of us that easily!” Satoshi said huffing with determination.

Snivy sniffed, acknowledging that she would have to fight them now.

Satoshi released Tepig this time and the little fire pig pawed at the ground, eager to begin.

By now, White and Black found their spot on top of the cliff just in time to see the battle between Snivy and Tepig.

Snivy struck first, reaching out with her vines to hit Tepig, and it managed to dodge her assault. Satoshi commanded Tepig to use Ember next, but Snivy quickly used Attract again, also succeeding in causing Tepig to be incapacitated by the move.

“So Tepig is a boy as well,” White observed out loud. For Satoshi’s benefit of course.

Satoshi had to reluctantly recall Tepig after Snivy struck the infatuated pokemon with her vines once more, knocking him backwards.

Afterward, Snivy ran off again but Satoshi didn’t give up at all. He once again called for Pidove, who was still circling around in the sky, to follow.

The twins began to follow again, but stopped because they could see from their higher vantage point that Satoshi was running much further into the woods, and was swinging on the vines to keep up with both the running Snivy and Pidove in the air. The siblings paused to marvel at the sight.

“He has strong willpower,” Black commented suddenly, startling his sister, “He reminds me of you, sis.”

White stared at her brother. Black hadn’t been affectionate in his words for a long time, and while she never held that against him, it felt really good to hear him speak up.

She was about to respond when she heard Satoshi cry out, and the twins rushed off to go find him.

Satoshi seemed to have fallen into the swamp from his swinging stint on the vines and was slowly sinking in. He got Pikachu to climb onto his head to prevent the electric mouse from touching the mud.

“Satoshi! Grab onto this!” White called, swinging a long vine out with enough strength that it struck Satoshi on the shoulder and he grabbed onto it quickly. The twins both held the other side firmly while Bijou watching worriedly from on top of Black’s head as well.

“Thanks guys,” Satoshi said as they heaved him out of the muddy water.

“Pika pika,” Pikachu also said gratefully.

“That Snivy is smart, and abnormally strong,” White commented, “Are you still going after her?”

“Of course! I’m far from giving up!” Satoshi said, raising his fist enthusiastically.

White exchanged glances with her brother, and they both shrugged but acquiesced to Satoshi’s decision.

Pidove circled around and located Snivy again, this time by the river and Satoshi leapt at the chance, knowing that she couldn’t get away easily this time.

Pikachu was ready to fight this time, but Pidove caught Satoshi’s attention, calling from the sky.

Satoshi suddenly understood. “You want to have a go huh? Pikachu, let’s leave this to Pidove.”

Pikachu agreed to it.

From further back, White and Black approached the battle.

“He’s really determined,” White said after seeing the next match-up, “and Pidove is a good choice but Satoshi needs to be careful if Snivy uses Attract again.”

“Oshaaa oshaa!” Bijou agreed from her perch, watching the face-off with intense interest.

White looked at the small otter pokemon, noting her enthusiasm.

“Brother… I think Bijou wants to be in pokemon battles too. Do you remember her dream back in Striaton City?”

Black flinched. He touched his head unconsciously, and ended up touching Bijou’s paw in his hair.

“Osha sha,” Bijou responded gently. The brown haired boy looked down and away from White but White thought she caught a glimpse of what looked like… guilt? in her brother’s eyes.

“I guess...” Black finally said.

It wasn’t really an answer. White was about to ask if he will train Bijou, but Satoshi’s battle interrupted them.

“Pidove, use Gust!”

Snivy nimbly dodge the sharp bursts of wind and countered with Attract once again.

Satoshi had a plan though, “Now’s your chance! Use Quick Attack!”

Pidove sped up to try and escape the floating pink hearts but they still caught up and circled the bird pokemon.

“Oh no!” Satoshi gasped, watching with trepidation.

White and Black also watched anxiously as the hearts sunk in and then…

Nothing happened.

Pidove flew on with ease, hooting triumphantly in the sky.

“It didn’t work! Since that Snivy is female, her Attract doesn’t work on another female!” White exclaimed, “Wow, good one Satoshi!”

“So Pidove is female?” Satoshi said, scratching his head, “I had no idea.”

Everyone froze.

White and Pikachu fell over in shock. A small giggle escaped from Black and he remarked amusedly, “Somehow… that seems just like Satoshi.”

Meanwhile, Snivy eyed Satoshi’s Pidove in annoyance and pulled out her vines this time. Satoshi immediately turned his attention back to the battle and commanded Pidove to dodge the Vine Whip.

Pidove dodged the whips, and then managed to nimbly dodge a barrage of leaves from Snivy next. Satoshi decided it was it was time to start the counterattack.

“All right! Now use Gust!”

This time Snivy was encompassed in the wind, then Pidove’s follow-up Air Cutter attack struck. Then finally, Pidove dove in and made a direct hit with her Quick Attack and Snivy flew into the ground. She struggled to get back up again and Satoshi took his chance to throw his Pokeball.

Snivy broke out of the ball a second time, but Satoshi was relentlessly determined and called for Pidove to use Quick Attack and then Air Cutter again. This time the Air Cutter hit the little grass snake directly, and it was super effective.

Snivy crashed to the floor and managed to get up but she was definitely weakened. This time, when Satoshi threw the ball, Black could see a hint of a smile on Snivy’s face from his angle of the battle before disappearing into the ball.

She had finally admitted defeat and that Satoshi was a worthy trainer for her.

The pokeball wiggled many times but eventually the light faded.

White had to catch her breath. That was an intense chase and she took a moment to bask in relief that it was finally ended as a success. 

Black on the other hand, was dwelling on the fact that this Snivy was a powerful pokemon who had actually been looking for the right trainer. Black wondered how often that happened and if there were pokemon out there who wished their lives could be different, and maybe not all of them could be as strong willed as this Snivy.

He was probably right about that fact, but Satoshi’s new Snivy did prove one thing: Sometimes, the pokemon could be the ones to choose their trainer if they really wished to do so, or they can choose not to have a trainer or be around humans at all. In the end, the relationship was one that both sides chose to accept.

Black has always stood by this fact, and both Satoshi and Snivy was the embodiment of proving it to be true. Today’s event just reminded him of the bonds that pokemon can make or unmake with their trainers.

Satoshi was cheerfully elated to have finally caught Snivy, and White was celebrating along with him. Then he released the ball and greeted Snivy.

“Nice to meet you Snivy! Let’s go take on the Unova League together okay?”

Snivy regarded her new trainer coolly before smiling in agreement.

White jumped up and lunged forward at Satoshi, “You finally did it! What a strong and cool Snivy you got Satoshi!” Pikachu quickly stepped out of the way of the girl’s onslaught.

“Ah, thanks White,” said Satoshi, muffled under White’s body, and she quickly let go.

“Sorry, it’s just that you went through all that work and you finally did it! I’m so happy for you.”

“It was a long run wasn’t it?” Satoshi said, thinking back to the events leading up to catching his new pokemon. “Snivy’s Attract move was so strong too!”

“Well now you know that Tepig is male, and your Pidove is female,” said White, turning to greet and introduce herself to Snivy.

Black put Bijou back into his arms and came over. He watched as White talked to Snivy and tried to reach out and the grass snake pokemon lifted her vine up, but then they shook hands. The brunet turned to Satoshi, “There are other ways to tell though.”

“What do you mean?”

“Other ways to find out your pokemon’s gender,” Black clarified. “Then your battle with Snivy would’ve been easier.”

“Oh,” said Satoshi, “Then, if Pidove wasn’t female, what else could I do?”

Black blinked, realizing that Satoshi didn’t actually think past what would happen if none of his pokemon were a match for Snivy.

“You know…” Black said slowly, “White has a Purrloin who is female, and I have an Oshawott and an Emonga who are both female. You could have borrowed any one of them from us.”

Satoshi gaped at Black, “They’re all female! I forgot!” He exclaimed.

Black muffled a laugh, and was about to turn away to check on the pokemon when Satoshi spoke up.

“Black, wait… you would let me borrow your pokemon to battle with?”

Black blinked, realizing what he had actually said: he would have let Satoshi battle with his pokemon? Did he trust Satoshi enough to lend his own partners to him?

He found himself believing that… yes, he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well White actually did the job for me but here it is again:  
> \- Satoshi’s Tepig is revealed to be male  
> \- Satoshi’s Pidove is revealed to be female  
> \- Satoshi's new Snivy is female  
> \- Thank you for reading!


	10. One Ugly Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Black’s mysterious egg finally hatches… and things unexpectedly go downhill.

Satoshi had decided back in Professor Juniper’s lab that as excited as he was to have two traveling companions who can help him learn more about the Unova Region, he had to admit that the twins seemed more mysterious to him than ever when they got on the road.

White was the more straightforward of the two as she was willing to speak her mind and reveal her feelings at any time. Satoshi appreciated her help very much as she was willing to answer any questions he might have. He wouldn’t dare say out loud that White was forceful, but she was definitely a force to be reckoned with when she wanted you to do something. The only person who can resist her was apparently her brother, though not often or easily either.

Black was… Black was a bit more of an enigma. The short haired twin didn’t talk as much, except for those times when Satoshi asked him about his Pokemon or Black felt like volunteering his thoughts on his Pokemon matches. Actually, when he really thought about it, Black was engaged the most when the subject was about the Pokemon. Otherwise, he was content to let White and Satoshi do the talking.

Between the two of them, Satoshi has never had a dull moment even if sometimes the siblings confused him with their contrasting personalities.

Satoshi resolved to ask for a battle with his companions at some point. That always made it easier for to understand people.

Currently, Satoshi, Black, and White have settled down by the river on a gorgeous sunny day for lunch. Black was currently cooking a flavoured rice and vegetable dish and it smelled delicious. White pulled out some more boxes of oran berry juice from her pack and was handing them out to Pikachu, Bijou, and Molly.

“Come on Black, when is the food ready?” Satoshi moaned impatiently. He was starving.

“It’s almost done,” Black answered him, smiling slightly in amusement but didn’t take his eye off the pan that was sizzling on the stove.

“How is the juice everyone?” White asked the pokemon, “We also have oran berry flavoured pokefood ready for you soon!”

All three of them made excited noises through the straw of their juice boxes, and White laughed slightly at their eagerness. She got up and made her way back to their pile of backpacks to move them to a better spot.

Black carefully poured the fried rice onto a large plate and carried it over, announcing that the food was ready. Satoshi immediately perked up and cheered, “Awesome! It looks so good!” He started digging into his portion the moment after Black divided the dish up.

Deciding to ignore Satoshi’s lack of table manners, Black turned to the pokemon and pushed three bowls of brown coloured pokefood forward, “I hope you like them,” he said. The pokemon all dug in, making happy noises and sighs of contentment. The silence that settled on them was peaceful and only punctuated by sounds of eating.

Suddenly, White gasped from over by the backpacks, drawing everyone’s attention. She gently picked up Black’s pack, “Hey the egg is shaking!” she exclaimed.

Sure enough, inside the incubator, the egg was moving back and forth.

“Does that mean what I think it means?” Satoshi asked and White nodded enthusiastically.

Black carefully took the incubator out of his backpack and set it on the grass in front for all of them to see.

“Wow! I wonder what it will hatch into!” Satoshi said. White walked over to sit and settle into her meal. The three of them continue to eat their food while keeping an eye on the egg.

Pikachu had finished his food and jumped up over to inspect the incubator that was rocking a bit. Molly and Bijou stared for a moment before returning to their own food. Molly finished hers next and flew over to join Pikachu with curiousity.

“Professor Juniper said that the egg came from the Dragon Village right?” Satoshi asked. He had already scarfed down his food and was leaning back in his chair with a full stomach: the picture of satisfaction.

“Yeah,” said White, chewing on her food. It was really tasty and she told her brother such who looked embarrassed but pleased before turning back to Satoshi. “I think it must be a dragon-type pokemon because the people there really love dragon-types and those are those are the only types living there.”

“So Black’s egg will probably be a dragon-type pokemon from Unova,” said Satoshi thoughtfully.

White finished her last bite. “There are quite a few of those types in Unova actually… it could be an Axew from the Haxorus line! Or maybe a Druddigon, those are really cool.”

“Druddigon?” Satoshi asked, taking out his pokedex and scrolling searched through the entries.

A large dark blue dragon with a bright red, tough-looking head appeared on the screen. The device sounded, _Druddigon, the Cave Pokemon. With the skin on its face harder than a rock, Druddigon warms its body by exposing its wings to the sun._

“That is one awesome looking pokemon,” Satoshi said in amazement.

“The other thing that’s really different and cool about the Dragon Village is that it’s one of the few places in Unova where they even get dragon-types from faraway places… I’ve never seen any of them before but that’s what I heard… right, Black?”

Black tore his eyes away from the egg at the question, “Hmmm? Oh, yes, they have ones like the Dragonite family and the Garchomp family… or so they say.”

Satoshi was really pumped up now, “I really want to see the Dragon Village now!”

White smiled, “I’m sure we’ll get there eventually.”

The egg suddenly started to glow, catching everyone’s attention.

“Pika?” Pikachu said, doing a double take. Bijou stared starry eyed at the glow before Molly pulled her back from the egg.

Black, Satoshi, and White ran over but White immediately blocked Satoshi from getting too close. “Stand back! If it’s a Druddigon, it’ll be very big even just born!”

The glow grew bright and encompassed the case and a bright light began to move around and form a shape. It was much smaller than the supposed Druddigon so White lowered her arm and they all nudged a bit closer.

When the light faded, a pokemon stood in front of them on four legs. It had black fur covering its head and neck and six purple spots encircling the fur, which covered its blue colouring. The pokemon raised its head towards them and stared for a few seconds before walking over and butting against Black’s thigh gently.

“Who’s that pokemon?” Satoshi asked, scanning it with a pokedex.

_Deino, the Irate Pokemon. Because Deino never stops biting anything it can, it is dangerous to approach without taking precautions._

“A Deino!” White exclaimed, staring at the pokemon with wide eyes. “They evolve into one of the strongest pokemon around! And they’re even harder to train than most other Dragon-types! Wow, little brother, you’re gonna have your hands full with a Deino… Black? Black?”

Black had gone stiff and still, and was staring at the Deino with a terrified expression. White gasped. She has never seen her brother look like this before.

* * *

 

_“But first I must get rid of the inconvenient truth.”_

_“What are you talking about?”_

_“Isn’t it obvious? I must eliminate you!”_

_“Get out of the way! NO!”_

_Black frayed wings._

_Sinister purple eyes._

 

_Ferocious fangs opened up. A flaming ball of fire formed from the mouth._

_And it was coming straight at him._

_“Black! Black? BLACK!”_

* * *

 

Black blinked.

He was met with twin stares from both White and Satoshi when they both called to him to snap him out of his stupor.

He felt a small nudge to his waist and looked down to see…

Darkened frayed fur.

And he screamed.

Before White could reach out to her brother, he bolted away and out of their campsite like a rocket.

The two of them stared speechless at Black’s retreating back, while the rest of the pokemon watched in silence and with worried eyes.

Satoshi and Deino were both in identical states of confusion and shock. “What… what happened?” Satoshi asked. “What’s wrong with Black?”

White was in shock as well. She had no idea that her brother seemed to have developed a fear of a pokemon. This was something she would never have believed in a million years: that her brother, her pokemon-loving brother, would react to a small Deino with fear. She had no answers to give to the third member of their group.

So the only thing she can see was to try and solve the problem. And if her brother was going to run away from any confrontations, White might have to resort to drastic measures and intervene directly this time, something she usually preferred doing instead of stepping back. She didn’t do it back when Black began to withdraw from everyone; White had decided that the best solution at that time was to give him space and time to come to terms with himself instead of barging in as she usually did.

Now though, White could see that the issues Black faced are much deeper than she first thought.

It was time she did something about it, anything to help her brother out.

With her mind made up, White dropped herself onto the ground. Satoshi looked at her in confusion and she patted the spot next to her, indicating for him to join.

After a moment, Satoshi moved to sit next to her. The Deino also bumped itself forward and then dropped onto grass while their other pokemon – Pikachu, Bijou, and Molly, came to join them. Bijou reached up to pat the Deino comfortingly.

“Come on Satoshi.” White said, determined to get to the bottom of this matter.

“What are we doing?”

“We are going to call one of the few people in the world who can shed some light on this situation.”

“Wait, but we’re in the middle of… somewhere, so how?”

“With this,” White said, showing the thick band on her wrist, “it’s a portable X-transceiver. It lets me call other people who also have an X-transceiver. They show up on the screen and this…” White pulled at the band to show another screen, “…will show our side of the call.” She detached the band from her wrist and laid it on the chair in front of them so they can both see it.

“Wow! That’s so cool!” Satoshi said, staring in admiration at the black band. “But who are you going to call?”

“An old friend of ours,” said White, already tapping at her X-transceiver and sending out the call.

A ringing sound could be heard through the device. Satoshi could see the name being displayed on the screen and he read it out loud, “Che-ren?”

“Yes,” said White. “See, a little while ago, Black was in a big battle. The details were something no one knew much about… not even I know much about it.”

“But Cheren was?”

“Right. All I know is that when I finally found my brother after the battle, he was… not himself anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“My brother was… or is, I should say, a quiet person. In our group of friends, which was me, Black, Cheren, and another girl named Bel, he was the calm, quiet, and caring type among us. Cheren also has a calm personality but he tended to be more aloof and blunt. Both he and my brother also shared a love of collecting knowledge about Pokemon. Black though… he always the best person to talk to about anything since he loved reading about the world. He had a conviction in himself and it carried him through tough times.”

“So then… this battle…” Satoshi cut himself off because someone had answered the call.

An older looking male with dark coloured hair and dark eyes appeared on the screen.

“Cheren! What happened to your glasses?” White exclaimed in shock.

Cheren appeared flustered by the question, “What? My glasses? I stopped wearing them a long time ago. I wear contacts now. You would’ve known that if you called more often, White.”

“Oh… ehe, I guess you’re right.” White said, a little sheepish.

“I’m glad you called, but where are you? Professor Juniper told me you actually left the lab. I was surprised to hear that.”

“Yeah, it was a sudden decision we made. It’s because we met Satoshi. Oh yeah! Cheren, this is Satoshi, a pokemon trainer visiting from Kanto. Satoshi, this is Cheren, our childhood friend.”

“Nice to meet you!” Satoshi said with a wave.

“Likewise,” said Cheren, “So are you traveling around Unova then?”

“We are! I’m hoping to challenge the Unova League and fulfill my dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master.”

“A Pokemon Master huh? That’s a nice dream,” said Cheren. “Well, if you’re ever in Aspertia City, give me a call. White, you better come visit too! Wait…” Cheren drew closer, as though trying to see from his end more clearly. “Where is that brother of yours?”

“He is the reason why I’m calling,” White said bluntly.

“That’s odd. Black is the last person I’d expect to cause trouble.”

White laughed a little despite herself but shook her head, “No Cheren, I’m not calling for anything like that. It’s more like Black is causing himself trouble.”

“Oh?”

“Cheren… he- we received an egg from the Dragon Village, and it hatched into a Deino.” White rotated the device to show Cheren the Deino who was resting on the ground playing around with Bijou and Pikachu.

“That’s… interesting. What did he do?” Cheren asked.

“He looked so unfocused… and scared, Cheren. Black was scared! Of a Deino!”

“It looked like he saw a ghost, he got really white,” Satoshi chimed in.

“It can only be because of _that_ battle, and you know I promised I wouldn’t ask too much about it because Black wasn’t ready to talk about it, but Cheren, I need to know what to do here. How can we help Black? This isn’t normal for him at all.”

Cheren was silent. White could practically see the gears grinding in head and in his sullen expression.

“Okay,” Cheren finally said. “I’m fairly certain I know why Black is scared of Deino, so both of you need to listen carefully.”

White and Satoshi nodded, both of them serious, determined, and focused.

“You are indeed correct, White, when you suspect that it was because of _that_ battle. I wasn’t able to see a lot but I did see one thing: Black was fighting a Hydreigon and… in the middle of the chaos, the Hydreigon was ordered to go… after Black.”

“Go after Black?” Satoshi asked, puzzled. Then a sudden possibility dawned on him, “Are you saying that Hydreigon attacked Black?”

Cheren nodded, “that Hydreigon was actually ordered with the intention to kill him. I can imagine that after going through an experience like that, he would be distressed and maybe even traumatized by it. That’s why I told White she should get Black somewhere safe so he can recover from this horrible event. Maybe… he gained a fear of the Hydreigon line, or Deino was a reminder of bad memories.”

Satoshi clenched his fists, “That’s awful,” he said slowly. “What kind of trainer uses their pokemon like this? How could they do that to Black?”

Cheren sighed, “I wish I can answer all of your questions Satoshi, but the only one here who knows enough about what happened is Black himself and he… White? Are you alright?”

Satoshi looked over at his female companion. White had her head down so he couldn’t really see her face hidden under her bangs

“I knew this was going to happen,” Cheren muttered, his voice sounding gruff through the Xtransceiver. “Satoshi, please listen to me. The first priority right now is not revenge, it’s to help Black.”

Satoshi nodded, “I understand.”

“White, before you go storming off, please at least remember that your brother is in a delicate state right now. You can’t force him to take your advice, but at least tell him that you’re there for him and that he can confide in you.” Cheren said in a tone that just bordered sounding bossy.

White didn’t look up, but she growled a little in response.

“White…?” Satoshi asked, starting to feel slightly nervous at the lack of reactions from her.

White’s growl grew louder until it became practically a furious roar. Satoshi and the pokemon winced at the noise.

On the screen, Cheren sighed.

“That’s why my brother is so scared?” White yelled. “THAT’S WHY?”

“W-White, are you alright?” Satoshi stammered.

“Pi pika?” Pikachu echoed worriedly, coming to Satoshi’s side.

“Let her yell,” said Cheren, “She needs to get it out of her system or else she’s just gonna go rip someone’s head off.”

“I’M GOING TO RIP THEIR HEAD OFF FOR TRYING TO KILL MY LITTLE BROTHER!”

Satoshi, Pikachu, Bijou, and Molly winced and covered their ears.

Deino buried its head into the grass and whined softly.

After screaming out her rage, White finally calmed down, huffing and puffing in exertion. She took another deep breath, “Okay. I’m angry, but not that angry anymore.”

Satoshi and Pikachu grinned nervously, “that’s- that’s great.”

Even though he wasn’t physically there, Cheren also looked nervous, “I’m glad you’re back… Now, could you go and help Black out? I still have a lot to do today, even though it was nice hearing from you guys.”

“Right, yes, I’ll go do that. Thanks Cheren.” White said. The screen on her Xtransceiver promptly shut off. Satoshi stared at the little device, feeling slightly annoyed that Cheren just hung up like that.

He turned to White, “That’s great and all, but how do we help Black get over his fear of a pokemon that once tried to kill him?”

White looked at Deino, “I’m not sure… but I know that I have to go talk to him.”

“You said Deino will eventually evolve into Hydreigon right? So right now… it’s not a Hydreigon. Maybe that will help?” Satoshi suggested.

“You’ve got a point,” White nodded. “Okay, Satoshi you stay here and guard the pokemon and our things. I’ll go find Black… he’s got no pokemon to protect him out there, the idiot.”

Satoshi nodded, “Get going!”

* * *

 

White found that her brother had hidden himself at the edge of the forest, sitting on a rock and staring into space.

She came and sat on the rock right next to him and looked up at the sky, wondering what to say. Black has always been a little sensitive, and prefers books to people, but White has never thought it was difficult to talk to him.

Though when she thought about it, White always did the talking while Black did all the listening. It was just how their personalities worked. Maybe it was time White tried to listen more.

“Hey,” she said a little tentatively. She didn’t need to look at her brother to know he had heard her.

“You know that… Deino hasn’t done anything wrong right?” White said carefully.

That got Black to look at finally look at her.

“I know I can’t really relate to what you’ve gone through. I just… I want you to know that I… I…” White tried to find the right words.

Black blinked in confusion. It was unusual to see his sister stumble over herself.

White paused and took another deep breath, “I want to let you know that I’m here for you. I don’t want to be pushy… well, less pushy than I usually am. The point is, if you want to talk about your feelings, or anything at all, I’ll be here and I’ll listen, okay?”

It was a moment before Black finally spoke, “So you found out what happened…”

“Sort of,” said White. “I know that Deino reminded you of Hydreigon, but now you have to take care of one.”

“I know,” Black whispered, “I saw Deino’s black fur and it reminded me of... such strong fear, of a wall of flames building higher and higher…

White listened carefully, and filed away the hint. Flames huh? That was something to consider and remember.

When Black fell silent again, he was staring at the clouds instead of hiding his face. White decided that was progress and stood up.

“Thank you for telling me,” she said.

Black was surprised, “but I didn’t really tell you anything?”

White shook her head, “it doesn’t matter if it’s a lot or a little. I’m only glad that you trust me enough to talk at all. You know… back then, you barely said anything to anyone.”

She flashed an easy smile at Black, “This is actually an improvement. I’m so glad.”

Black slowly smiled back, “Thanks sis.”

White winked, “for what?” She started walking away, “I’ll wait for you with Satoshi at the campsite. And Deino is waiting for you too.”

He watched his sister walk away with a thoughtful look. That turned out way different than he was expecting it to.

* * *

 

Back at the campsite, White found Satoshi throwing food into the air while the Pokemon leaped together to try to catch them. He immediately stopped when he saw White.

“Is Black okay?” He asked.

“I think so, I told him to take his time to come back though, so I don’t know when that will happen.”

“Osha osha wott!” Bijou exclaimed, waving her arms. She looked really worried.

“He’s not too far away or in any danger, don’t worry Bijou,” White said to the pokemon. Bijou nodded and went back to trying to talk to Deino. White stared at the Deino who laid on its stomach in the grass, head down. “Is Deino okay?”

“Deino has been like that the whole time,” said Satoshi. “I think it misses Black somehow, even though it just hatched.”

White wondered if even in the egg stage, a pokemon can tell who has been taking care of them. Or perhaps Deino imprinted on Black as the first person it touched upon hatching. It was an interesting thought.

She went to one of the chairs to watch as Satoshi got Tepig to run around to catch the food while Pikachu kept trying to trip the little fire pig up.

They passed the time like that until all of them perked up, even the pokemon, when they heard footsteps approaching the campsite. It was Black returning to them.

Bijou let out a loud cry and immediately rushed over, jumping onto Black’s chest and nuzzling him on the cheek. Black giggled a little at the sensation and patted the little otter, “I missed you too Bijou. I’m sorry for running off like that.”

Bijou huffed, “osh-a osh-a.” You’re forgiven.

Satoshi and Molly both came over next “I’m glad you’re alright,” said Satoshi. Then he looked over at the Deino who had gotten to its feet and was looking over at them cautiously. He tried to voice his next question, “uh, Black, are you going to be okay with, you know, Deino?”

Black took a step forward with a determined look, “Deino is not Hydreigon… or should I say… they’re not the same pokemon even though they’re the same species. I’m going to raise Deino the right way and show people that it’s not a violent monster. I owe it to this Deino… and to myself.”

Satoshi and White both nodded in support.

“Go to it,” said White, gesturing at the pokemon. “Deino needs you.”

Black approached Deino slowly, but never stopped looking at the little dragon. Deino never moved its head away from Black either as they both faced each other. Bijou jumped down from Black’s arms in order to observe the interaction.

Inch by inch, Black made his way close enough to the Deino to put his hand in front of the pokemon. The Deino sniffed his hand and then, after a moment, began nuzzling his hand. Black sighed quietly. This wasn’t easy, the fear was still there but Deino acting docile and gentle was a big help. Black moved close enough that he was able to crouch down and started petting Deino’s fur, making the dark dragon pokemon nuzzle back again happily.

“I’m sorry if I frightened you earlier,” Black murmured. “I was frightened too, but if you’ll let me, maybe we can be partners. Maybe you can help cure my fear. A man tried to kill me before, but I think if we both try hard enough, you can be the one to heal me. What do you think? Do you want to come with me?”

Deino made a crying noise and bowled Black over with its head, nuzzling him all over.

Black let out a laugh, “I think that’s a yes. Thank you.”

White decided it was all right to come over now that Black and Deino seemed to be doing just fine. “So, are you going to name your new Deino now?”

Black thought for a moment, “Well I’ll check if Deino is a boy or a girl in a moment but I think I’ve got a name no matter what the gender is.”

White pulled out her pokedex and scanned, “It’s a boy,” she said.

“That’s fine,” Black replied. He turned to Deino, “how does the name Shiro sound to you?”

Deino made a cry of approval before going back to nuzzling his new trainer.

“What?” White said, stunned.

“Yeah, Shiro. It’s ironic, but I think it works,” Black explained. “This way, I gave him a name that will always remind me that he isn’t someone to be afraid of. In fact, he is someone who will always care about me.”

“I understand,” White said weakly.

Satoshi came over and patted her shoulder comfortingly. “That’s awesome,” he said to Black. “You and Shiro will make a great team.”

“Pi Pikachu,” Pikachu said in agreement.

Bijou jumped up and down, ecstatic that everything turned out all right.

The sun was slowly starting to set, and the trio decided to call it a day, getting into the large tent they all shared (Black was always in the middle).

Satoshi was sitting on his side of tent but he happened to look over at White and caught her smiling softly at Black who had already fallen asleep, likely mentally exhausted from the day. Bijou curled up right next to his head.

White made eye contact with Satoshi, “Thank you for being so supportive today.”

“It was no problem at all,” Satoshi replied, “What are friends for?”

White smiled back in response before wiggling into her sleeping bag and closing her eyes.

Pikachu looked to his trainer, who was watching them both with a fond smile before he also turned in to sleep.

That was one mystery solved today about the twins and their pasts, and Satoshi felt it helped all of them to grow closer together. As true friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Black gave the name Shiro to his Deino, which means White  
> \- Thank you for reading!  
> \- Next chapter will be up next Tuesday instead of Monday!


	11. Rival Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Satoshi finally meets Shootie, and gains his first Unovan rival.

“Let’s go, let’s go, LET’S GO!” Satoshi hollered as he roared into town. “I want to find someone to have a battle with!”

“There he goes again…” White said, sighing. She followed at a much more sedate pace.

“Enthusiasm is definitely his dominant trait though,” said Black in amusement.

The trio has arrived in Luxuria City, a city with no gym but has a Battle Club. Satoshi was fired up to go and try out the Battle Club and the twins had to work hard to catch up to him.

When they finally found Satoshi right in front of the club building, White was annoyed.

“You just trained yesterday, Satoshi.”

“And the day before that,” Black added.

“And you had a practice battle with me! What’s gotten into you?” White asked.

“But I want to battle with all kinds of people,” said Satoshi, in echo of what he said back in Striaton City. “And it would be new training that I can use to prepare for the next gym.”

“Fine, alright, you’ve made your point.” White said, sighing, “But there was really no need to run, the Battle Club is not going to walk away on us.”

Satoshi looked slightly sheepish so she decided to forgive him. The trio went in to find the Xtranscievers and look for a potential trainer for Satoshi to battle.

As White scrolled through the screen of trainers, she came upon a familiar face and gasped. Black and Satoshi immediately looked over. 

On her screen was a boy with dirty blond hair and serious grey eyes. White pointed at his picture, “This is Shootie.”

“Who’s Shootie?” Satoshi asked.

“He’s a trainer who came to Professor Juniper’s lab and got his first pokemon before you came.”

Realization dawned on Black, “That’s the trainer who came to choose his starter?”

White nodded, “Since he came just a little bit before you, Satoshi, he might be a good trainer to battle. You’re both probably on similar levels right now.”

“That sounds great, let’s call him,” Satoshi agreed.

“OHO! So you’re interest in challenging that one huh?” A voice boomed from behind them, startling all three of them. They whirled around to find a familiar looking hefty man with thick eyebrows and a moustache.

Satoshi stared at the man in surprise, “Don George? Didn’t I see you in the Battle Club in Accumula Town?”

“Accumula Town?” The man asked, before lighting up in realization, “That was my cousin, there are many of us all across Unova who operate the Battle Clubs in many cities.”

Don George pulled out a photo to show them, “This is my family.”

They all stared at the photo, perplexed: Each of the Battle Club Dons looked exactly the same!

Don George stowed the photo away, “Now, did I hear that you were looking to battle with Trainer Shootie?”

“Yeah, I do!”

Don George peered at the profile on screen and said, “I remember that he came in not too long ago, perhaps if you wait a bit, he’ll be here again.”

Satoshi nodded, “I’ll wait then.”

It wasn’t very long until Shootie entered the front doors of the Club. Satoshi leaped to go ask him for a battle but White beat him to it.

“Hi!” White said to Shootie.

Shootie stared at her, as if trying to remember why she looked familiar; “I’ve seen you before, at Professor Juniper’s laboratory was it?”

White was astounded, “You don’t remember me? I gave you your first pokemon!”

“Oh that’s right, you’re… White.”

“Yes!” White exclaimed, and she gestured beside her, “this is Black, my brother.”

Shootie stared at them both, puzzled. His eyes landed on Black and he squinted in suspicion, “Your name is Black?”

“Uh, yes,” He replied.

“You’re Black, and she’s… White? Black and White?”

“We’re twins,” White said irritably.

Then Shootie noticed Bijou in Black’s arms, “Is that the Oshawott from the lab?”

“Yeah,” Black answered before White could open her mouth. “This is Bijou, say hi Bijou.”

Bijou stared up at Shootie in recognition before turning her head away, unimpressed.

Shootie was unimpressed too and said to Black, “Well I’m glad I didn’t pick Oshawott then, it doesn’t look very strong.”

Bijou took offense to that immediately and shot a stream of water straight at Shootie’s face.

“Bijou!” Black said, shocked. “That’s rude! You need to apologize!”

“Shawott!” Bijou said, shaking her head. No way! He called me weak!

White got out a tissue for Shootie to wipe his face, secretly thinking that the Water Gun to the face was deserved. She decided to change the subject though, before Bijou decided to become more violent.

“So, Shootie, are you here for an appointment? Or to find someone to battle?” She asked.

“I’m looking to have a full battle,” Shootie replied. Then he looked at Black, “Your Oshawott seemed to be interested so how about it?”

Bijou turned up her nose while her trainer just smiled slightly and shook his head, “I only have three pokemon and none of them are really battle-ready.”

Shootie accepted that and turned to White who also shook her head, “Sorry, but I have even less pokemon than Black at the moment.” Then she remembered her third friend who was looking annoyed but was patiently waiting during the whole exchange.

“Ah! That’s right! Black and I weren’t here to battle at all! We’re here for our friend,” she quickly pulled Satoshi in to face Shootie.

“Hi Shootie, White told me about you. I’m Satoshi, and this is my partner Pikachu,” Satoshi said in greeting and Pikachu waved from his spot on his shoulder.

Upon seeing Pikachu, Shootie did a double take, “That’s a really rare pokemon! Is it strong?”

“Yup,” Satoshi chirped, pleased. “Do you want to have a battle then?”

“Do you have six pokemon?”

“Uh no?”

“He has four,” White supplied, “Which is more than either I or Black have so I think you should battle him.”

Shootie thought for a moment, “Well… that is the most pokemon I’ve seen from any trainer around here anyways so… alright, shall we have a 4 versus 4 then?”

“Yes! Let’s have a battle!” Satoshi cheered, and so did Pikachu.

* * *

 

“This battle will be a four versus four with trainers only substituting when one pokemon faints,” Don George announced loudly from his referee spot. “The trainers battling today are… Satoshi from Pallet Town, and Shootie from Nuvema Town! Trainers, send out your first pokemon!”

“Pallet Town?” Shootie asked incredulously, “A backwater town like that?”

“What do you mean by that?” Satoshi shot back, now annoyed.

“Just an observation,” said Shootie dismissively.

From the sidelines, White let out a big sigh, “He needs to start watching his mouth or it’ll get him in trouble someday.”

Black agreed. Shootie seemed to not realize that he says all the wrong things at the wrong time.

The battle began with Satoshi sending out his Tepig, while Shootie sent out a large grey bird.

Satoshi stared at Shootie’s first pokemon and took out the pokedex immediately.

_Tranquil, the Wild Pidgeon Pokemon, and the evolved form of Pidove. It is believed that a peaceful place without conflict exists deep in the forest where Tranquil live._

“So that’s Pidove’s evolved form,” Satoshi said in awe before getting ready for the match-up.

The first round didn’t go very well. Tepig tried his hardest but was defeated by a combination of Work-Up with Tranquil’s Superluck ability that landed a powerful Aerial Ace hit on him. Tepig was already confounded by Tranquil’s double team ability and wasn’t able to land a single hit as a result.

White and Black watched on in worry as Satoshi, annoyed that they couldn’t hit Tranquil at all, got Pikachu to take the next round.

Pikachu ran onto the field, determined to make up for Tepig’s loss. They quickly launched into another fierce battle that Pikachu won by swinging Tranquil into the air and finishing it with a Volt Tackle. They moved on to the next round against Shootie’s evolved starter, Servine.

“Satoshi and Pikachu really work well together,” Black remarked, “Though they also had both type advantage and experience. Don’t you think so, Sister?”

White was startled. She turned to face her brother contemplatively. In the past couple of days, Black participated in the conversations she and Satoshi usually have by themselves which surprised both of them. Satoshi was ecstatic about the change and hung on to every word that Black said. White was glad to see her brother talking more, but couldn’t help but wonder what brought about this change. Was it really by revealing his fear, Black got over his inherent shyness?

Or perhaps it was more likely that her brother felt he could trust White and Satoshi more.

“Hey, Black?”

“Hmm?”

“I haven’t heard you call me Sister for so long you know.”

“Ah…” Black looked sheepish about the slip-up, “I guess I’m just glad that you and Satoshi don’t think differently of me.”

White suddenly felt a sense of dread as she asked, “Why would you think that?”

It was a moment before Black spoke again; he watched as Satoshi sent out Snivy after Pikachu got knocked out.

“When you came and found me that day, I was feeling a lot of emotions about what happened: fear, dread, relief, confusion... and others I don’t even know what they’re called. I kept replaying the worst moments in my head over and over… But, the moment I saw you, sis, the strongest feeling of them all was… guilt.”

White was confused, “Guilt? Why would you feel that?”

“Because you’ve always been a strong person,” Black simply said.

White wasn’t satisfied with that, “Okay, so you felt guilt because of- because of me?”

Black’s eyes widened, “No! It’s not because of you at all!”

“Then explain it to me!”

He winced at White’s loud voice, “See, that’s exactly why. You’ve always been a strong person, sis. Nothing gets you down, and I… felt that I shouldn’t be so afraid of it but no matter how much I tried to overcome it, I still saw those eyes, those wings, that horrible voice…”

To White’s horror, Black looked unfocused, as though he was reimagining the event. She had to snap him out of it.

“I’m not always strong either.”

Her voice snapped Black back to the present and he stared at White with evident shock, “What?”

“Little brother, you went through a scary moment in your life, and you did it all by yourself too. I can’t even begin to comprehend what you went through because no one has ever tried to kill me with their Pokemon.” Black winced at the reminder. “But, you know, if I had to go through what you did… I would be really scared too.”

The siblings stared at each other over the sounds of Satoshi’s Pidove fighting with Shootie’s Frillish in the background. It was a moment of absolute clarity when both Black and White realized they could read each other’s emotions.

They both recognized this feeling from when they were younger.

Bijou looked up at them from her spot on the ground where she was watching the battle, confused, “Osha?”

That broke the moment and the twins looked down at Bijou with affection.

Back at the battlefield, Satoshi was down to his last pokemon, Snivy, against Shootie’s third pokemon, Frillish.

White gasped and yelled, “Satoshi! Don’t use any direct attacks! Frillish’s ability can disable those!”

“Yeah, I figured that out earlier when Snivy used Vine Whip,” Satoshi answered back in exasperation.

“Oh, well, that’s good,” White said slightly embarrassed.

“He’s learning,” said Black with a hint of pride.

But despite Satoshi taking the risk in hitting Frillish with the powerful Leaf Blade, hoping that would take the ghost pokemon out, it didn’t work and Frillish finished Snivy off with Hex.

Don George called it, “Snivy is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner of this match is Shootie!”

Shootie recalled his Frillish with a smug smile at his win and came over to Satoshi as he was recalling his Snivy, “well it seems I win then. Your Pikachu and Snivy both show they are potentially good battlers but your other two are hopeless. You aren’t a good trainer if your pokemon are hopeless cases.”

Satoshi growled in response.

Shootie excused himself from the Club and Satoshi shouted that they would have another match in the future. The other trainer responded that he would think about it since battles are the basics of being a pokemon trainer after all and left.

“Who does that Shootie guy think he is,” Satoshi said, incensed and insulted.

Black and White came over to comfort their friend. White huffed, “Shootie has become more arrogant ever since he became a pokemon trainer. Don’t let his words get you down Satoshi.”

“I’m not feeling down at all,” said Satoshi to the twins’ amazement.

“Osha?” Bijou asked.

“Yeah, I won’t lose to him in the future. I’ll train a lot more and become stronger in the future!” Satoshi declared.

“Pika!” Pikachu agreed whole-heartedly.

“If anyone has got the right attitude for gaining such a rival, it would be Satoshi,” Black said approvingly. He then glanced at his sister in gratitude for what also happened earlier.

Thanks Sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Reminder that Shootie is Trip in the dub (dear god the names…)  
> \- As always, thanks for reading! Sorry this chapter was kinda short, it's really just Shootie's introduction chapter and the aftermath of chapter 10, but it's still necessary as a setup for future events to come


	12. Trouble Pitfalls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Trubbish is often overlooked and unloved until it gained love from the local Kindergarten kids… but not from their teacher

“Now, Tepig! Use Ember!”

“Counter that with Sand Attack!”

The small flames countered with the sand and a small explosion occurred in the air. When the dust cleared, both pokemon stood in the middle of the clearing facing each other down. Satoshi and White stood by, readying for their next move.

“Kuro, let’s attack back, use Pursuit!”

“Dodge it!”

“Ha! That’s no use! Do it now!”

“Tepig! Can you still go on?”

“Te-pig!”

“Great! Now use Tackle!”

As Satoshi and White battled on, the trio had settled in a nice meadow to rest for a little while. In that time, White had riled Satoshi enough that they were fired up to have a practice battle against each other.

Near their battle spot, Black sat on the grass and ignored the sounds of Satoshi and White shouting their battle commands in favour of watching Bijou play in the flowers. Bijou was plucking the flowers she liked the most (most of them were white) in a small patch of tall grass.

Unlike Black and Bijou, Pikachu was watching at the practice battle with great gusto. Satoshi’s Pidove also chirping along in excitement. Snivy was also there and she held her composure, standing a few aloof feet away, but still watched the scene with interest.

From behind them, Molly cocked her head in puzzlement. Why were they fighting? There was no one else around. There aren’t threats to each other. So why were they attacking each other in the middle of their campground?

While the others all watched, Pikachu noticed that Molly was walking away so he decided to go accompany her. He caught up to her just in time to notice that Molly didn’t see the hidden rock in the glass and tripped on it. The wind carried her forward further than anyone else would’ve and she fell into a group of small mushrooms that suddenly came to life.

“Foon!” The mushroom caps tilted upwards to show their annoyed faces.

“Pika?!” Pikachu yelped in alarm and charged forward when he saw that the moving mushrooms were about to attack Molly. 

“Emon mon emonga!” Molly was trying to explain to the mushroom pokemon that it was an accident but they were too angry to listen.

Pikachu recognized that they were gearing up for an attack on Molly and pre-empted them by releasing his own Thunderbolt for a direct hit on the group of mushroom pokemon.

Molly watched in fascination as the attack lit the moving mushrooms up and then they fled. She stood there and patted her own cheeks, emitting sparks from them. Pikachu finally reached Molly and was ready to scold her for walking off when he noticed Molly was concentrating on letting out her own electricity. It was small and weak.

“Pi pika?” Pikachu asked, wondering what she was doing charging up her Thundershock move. Molly concentrated harder on trying to put more power in the move and increased it a little bit more.

Pikachu suddenly understood. Molly was trying to emulate his move from earlier!

“Molly! Pikachu!” Black called, running up to them. “Are you both okay? What are you doing here?”

He came to a stop from a short distance away and stared as Molly kept straining to use her electricity. Pikachu came up to her to call for her attention.

“Pi pika pi,” Pikachu said to her, and then proceeded to release a Thunderbolt. Then he pointed at her to try.

Molly nodded, determined, and emitted more jolts from her cheeks.

“Molly… you want to learn how to use Thunderbolt?” Black said, feeling like his breath has been stolen. He couldn’t understand why, why did Molly want to learn Pikachu’s move?

Molly nodded again, closed her eyes, and went back to focusing. Pikachu continued to coach her while Black stood apart and witnessed this phenomenon of one pokemon tutoring another.

“Em moooooon,” Molly cried, but it was as if something was holding her back from releasing more power despite her will and ability being there.

While watching her try her hardest to make a stronger spark, suddenly Black understood.

“You want to get stronger?” He asked, “Is that why… okay, I know how you feel now Molly.”

Black took a deep breath to get ahold of his feelings. This was about Molly and what she wanted, not his own. He issued his command, sending his thoughts and encouragement to her through it, “Molly, use Thunderbolt!”

“MonGAAA!” Molly screamed out and let loose a strong bolt of electricity that looked similar to Pikachu’s move.

“Pika!” Pikachu cheered, ever kind and supportive.

“You did it!” said Black, and Molly jumped up and down excitedly.

“Emon emon!” She said happily, flying up into Black’s arms. Black was smiling widely at his Emonga’s accomplishment and hugged her back gently. He turned to Pikachu and petted him on the head, “Thanks for all your help, Pikachu.”

“Chaa,” Pikachu sighed blissfully under the praise. It was no problem at all!

Black stared at Molly thoughtfully. Thunderbolt is a controlled electric move that Emongas generally don’t use since they often just rely on emitting electricity everywhere to hit everything around them. Does this need for control mean something? Is Molly showing an interest in battling? He wasn’t too sure.

* * *

 

A short while later, Satoshi, Black, and White decided to pack up and get going. The gravel road slowly turned into a dusty one line with white fences as the landscape became more pastoral. They peacefully walked towards the next town.

Suddenly, they saw what looked like a group of kids laughing boisterously and zipping right by them on a tricycle. They could hear two voices yelling at them to stop but the next thing any of them knew was a barrage of mud being flung straight at them.

White reacted first by quickly placing herself between the mud coming at them and her brother. Satoshi and Pikachu were not protected at all and both got mud hit squarely to their faces. White also got hit in the face but since she stood in front of Black, he didn’t get hit at all.

“White!” Black gasped, “Why did you do that? Bijou, can you use Water Gun to wash their faces?”

Bijou nodded and gently shot streams of water at all of their faces to wash the mud right off.

White wiped the water off her face, “Thanks.”

“Oh my goodness, are you kids alright?” A voice came from behind Black and two ladies ran up to them to apologize for the rude behavior of the kids. Satoshi wanted to get his hat back as it blew off during the mud assault and landed in the tricycle the kids were riding, so they followed the two women back to their place.

It turned out that the two ladies run a daycare for both pokemon and kids. They showed Black, White, and Satoshi to the daycare where, to their amazement, it was filled with many pokemon eggs that they were taking care of.

The older woman introduced herself as Kikuyo who runs the daycare, and her granddaughter Yuri who is the kindergarten teacher.

In the back of the building there was a large backyard filled with toys and child-sized structures for the children of the daycare to run around. But since they all left, causing mischief on their tricycles, it was empty now.

Yuri went out to go round up the children and returned with all of them looking suspiciously misty-eyed. Satoshi’s hat was nowhere to be seen either when he asked about it.

White wondered if the hat was special to Satoshi since he seemed to be adamant about finding it. She had to admit: it was odd to see her friend go without it.

The mystery was solved when they entered the backyard again sometime later to find an unknown pokemon wearing Satoshi’s cap sitting in the middle and all the kids running around joyfully. A huge amount of junk filled the yard, and the children had used it to build structures that they can climb on. White thought she might have glimpsed this particular pokemon earlier, just before she got a face full of mud.

Black looked at her strangely, “you’ve never seen a Trubbish before?”

Satoshi whipped out his ‘dex for his and White’s benefit.

_Trubbish, the Trash Bag Pokemon. Trubbish prefer to live in dirty places like garbage dumps. It is said they were born when a chemical reaction occurred between an abandoned trash bag and industrial waste._

White shrugged impassively, watching as Satoshi and Yuri try to talk to the children. Yuri wasn’t too happy that the children wanted to befriend the embodiment of a garbage bag while Satoshi toed the line of trying not to offend Yuri but also sympathize with the children in wanting a pokemon friend. He was also trying to get his beloved cap back of course.

“Do they always smell this bad?” White asked. The Trubbish had let out a foul odour earlier that had everyone cringing and the children bravely enduring it out of sheer want and stubbornness.

Black looked away from the scene playing out in the kindergarten, “What? The Trubbish?” A contemplative look spread over his face and White recognized it the expression Black gets when he is recalling his studies.

“No,” Black said slowly, drawing out the word, but his mind was still turning with his thoughts. White waited patiently, knowing her question was a small one and likely insignificant to the amount of other things her brother was probably thinking about.

Then she realized what he said.

“No?”

Black shook his head in confirmation, “Trubbish smells are in tune with their emotions. If they feel tense or scared, they give off a bad smell.”

“Then…” White trailed, staring at Satoshi in shock as he scrambled his way into the tree house that the children ended up holing themselves in. The bad odour lingered in the air still, but it seemed to have settled and was drifting out of the yard and into the atmosphere, dissipating as every second ticked by.

Black eyed the tree house with a look of indifference, though White knew that inwardly, he was curious about what was happening just as much as she was. It was amazing to her how much Black waffled between being stoically hiding behind a neutral wall one moment and emotionally obvious the next.

A moment later, the siblings and Yuri and Kikuyo began to notice it: the smell that continued to sink into everything in the schoolyard had begun to change. Neither disappearing nor getting stronger, instead it changed subtly, no longer smelling like rotted leftovers. There was a sense of lessened ripeness instead, like food on the edge of turning moldy.

Satoshi’s head finally peeked out of the tree house and he shouted to Yuri and Kikuyo that everything was fine. White didn’t realize until Satoshi said something but she was relieved that everything turned out all right.

Until it wasn’t.

White knew she shouldn’t be surprised at all, and yet she still is when Satoshi admits that he was persuaded by the children that they should keep Trubbish. So much so that he challenges their teacher head on when she refuses to budge on her position that Trubbish is not a suitable pokemon to be hanging around children.

In the midst of their heated argument over the Trubbish, a Sandile came bursting out of the pile of junk in the yard looking ready to fight and the entire junkyard trembled. Satoshi, with Trubbish’s help, took out the intruding Sandile after realizing that its constant attack on Pikachu was endangering the teetering towers of junk and trash.

After that little intrusion was over, Yuri wasn’t happy that Satoshi had chosen the children’s side over hers and continued to put her foot down. She argued that the daycare was her responsibility and she deemed the Trubbish to be not safe. Satoshi shot back that this was also the children’s daycare and they should get a say in the decision-making.

To both White and Black’s astonishment, Yuri adamantly refused to listen to either the kids or Satoshi and sent out her own pokemon – a Deerling in spring form, to force the Trubbish out. The children were shocked that their teacher was resorting to using her own Pokemon for this. Satoshi announced that if this were to be decided by a pokemon battle, then he, as an honorary member of the ‘Trubbish Squad’ would defend on the children’s behalf.

Black stared at the Deerling with the sort of wide-eyed admiration that White had forgotten her brother had a fondness for them.

Satoshi realized this was his chance to face a Deerling for the first time when before he has only seen them in the wild.

“Shouldn’t we be stopping them?” White asked aloud as the battle between the two hot-headed arguers began, and the twins turned to Kikuyo for assistance. The elderly lady only looked on with a serene gaze, even as the towers and piles of junk began to shake dangerously.

“I believe this will be an important lesson for Yuri,” Kikuyo finally said.

White blinked in disbelief, “What? But the whole place is going to come down!”

“Yuri is very capable, and it seems so is your friend. I think he will be the best one to teach her what it means to raise and befriend pokemon of all kind.”

She turned to her brother for help but Black just nodded in agreement, “Trubbish is not inherently a bad pokemon,” he pointed out. “They’ll figure it out eventually.”

White decided not to be cruel and point out that neither was a Hydreigon. She wasn’t that petty and she knew her brother was still trying to get comfortable with Shiro.

They were interrupted by the toppling junk towers and the twins sprang to protect and herd the children away when Yuri’s Deerling got stuck in one of them and was struggling to break free. The shaking was causing the whole place to fall apart.

But the last child refused to leave Trubbish alone, forcing Yuri to jump in and bodily protect him from a falling bookcase and then the Trubbish blasted the stuff away from them out of gratitude.

As the place fell apart around them all, the Trubbish sprang into action, blasting it all away with Sludge Bomb and leaving a harmless mess in its wake. The Pokemon had saved everyone.

Finally coming to an understanding, Yuri and the children apologized to each other for not listening and letting the situation escalate. Satoshi was the one to bring up the topic of Trubbish again, pointing out how much it meant to the children and how it was willing to protect the children in return.

Yuri finally relented and everyone rejoiced with White and Satoshi even joining in.

Kikuyo finally spoke up, “Yuri, do not worry about the smell. Once a Trubbish becomes happy and makes a friend, it stops expelling bad odors.”

A pause.

"WHAAAAAAT?!”

The entire group shouted in astonishment. White and Satoshi immediately zeroed in to stare at Black. He stared back innocently, “What?”

“You knew that already didn’t you?” White accused.

“Yeah, why didn’t you tell us that from the start? Then this whole mess wouldn’t have happened!” Satoshi exclaimed.

Black simply grinned and said nothing. Kikyuo chuckled, “Even a teacher has something to learn. It would be too easy if I just told Yuri everything. Pokemon and humans alike have to learn to raise each other properly.”

“Also, Satoshi was working so hard,” Black added with a comforting smile.

Kikuyo nodded in agreement. She turned to Satoshi, “Young man, thank you for going through the extra effort for our kids.”

Yuri smiled, “Thank you,” she said with a bow. “It’s getting late, please stay with us for the night. It’s the least we can do.”

“Yes! Please, Big Brother?” The kids chorused together to White and Black’s amusement.

Satoshi looked sheepish, “Okay.”

* * *

 

A bit further away, three shadowy figures dressed in long coats sat patiently at a train platform. After a while, another figure in a long trench coat appeared on the other side of the platform and sits at a bench behind them. They do not look at each other.

“When will the train depart?”

“Nine O’clock.”

“What is the mission?”

“Infiltrating and replacing.”

The single figure kicked a metal case over. One of the three figures picks it up and opens it to find a sparkling coloured stone. 

“That is a fake,” the solitary figure said quietly. “The boss is so far impressed with your success. Wait for further instructions.”

With a short nod, they all disappeared.

 

* * *

 

Satoshi, Black, White, and all their Pokemon pitched in to help move out all the scraps to the scrap yard, and by the next day, the daycare center was clean and clear.

“I can’t thank you enough for all your help,” Yuri said as they were getting ready to leave and get back on the road again.

Satoshi was embarrassed by the profuse thanks, “It was no trouble at all really. I’m just glad Trubbish has friends now.”

“Still, we must thank you for all the hard work you did,” Kikuyo’s voice drifted over and she came out hold something in her hands.

They recognized it as a Pokemon egg incubator, similar to the one Black had carried around before.

Kikuyo held it out to Satoshi, “We would like to give you this egg as a thank you for helping us out.”

“Wha-“ Satoshi didn’t finish his sentence before the egg was plopped into his hands.

“Oooh, I wonder what Pokemon that could be,” White exclaimed, bending down to take a closer look at the egg’s patterns. Its orange markings even matched the incubator it was set it.

Kikuyo chuckled, “It will certainly be a nice surprise for kind trainers like you.”

“Thank you,” Satoshi bowed a little awkwardly while holding the egg.

“Please come visit us again, Big Brother!” One of the kids piped up.

“Of course, we’ll have a battle someday!” Satoshi said, and with a wave, the three of them were off with a newly acquired egg, heading down the trail to the next town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original -> Dub  
> Yuri = Daniela  
> Kikuyo = Karena
> 
> \- I might put together a guide on all the references this fic makes between the games, anime, and the manga… If there’s interest in that idea  
> \- Molly learns Thunderbolt... yes I know pokemon tutoring is a little strange but I think it can work in a real pokemon-integrated world  
> \- Fun fact: This is where my previous hiatus in writing this fic ended, and then I picked it up again after a year  
> \- Again, thanks for reading!


	13. An Adventure in a Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which really weird things are happening at the Nacrene Museum.

White hummed a catchy little song to herself as she flipped through a guidebook, while tapping her thighs rhythmically. The bright morning weather has put her in a good mood.

The trio arrived at the next town – Nacrene City – not long after leaving the daycare on a beautiful sunny day. It was also warm out and colourful buildings and the bustling crowds surrounded them.

Even Satoshi was acting somewhat calm when they entered the new city. He was admiring the sights and sounds around them instead of constantly clamoring to go to the gym. White figured that his manic enthusiastic was tempered a little by cleaning the daycare last night.

On her other side, Black was busy pouring himself and Bijou some tea into the small teacups. They were currently sitting at an outdoor patio of one of the many small cafes in the city for lunch.

White flipped to the next page of the city guide and something caught her eye.

“Hey! The museum has a new exhibit opening today!” She exclaimed, holding up the guide.

Satoshi and Black leaned in to peer at the book. There were pictures of fossils, a coffin, and some decorative masks splashed across the page with large letters that proclaimed, “Grand Opening!”

Satoshi furrowed his eyebrow, “Museum? That doesn’t sound all that exciting to me.”

White wasn’t surprised. Satoshi hardly paid any extra attention to all the artwork and buildings around Nacrene, only giving them a cursory fascinated glance before moving on. Her brother on the other hand, was fascinated in the way that art was interesting because it was puzzling. Black and Bijou spent a few minutes at one of the stalls trying to figure out what one of the paintings represented and eventually they gave up.

She knew this museum was geared more towards Black’s interest but would definitely be of significance to Satoshi… in a different way.

The brunette smirked and waved the pamphlet around smugly, “What if I told you that the museum is where the gym is?”

That got Satoshi excited and agreeing to visit the museum in a heartbeat while Black simply looked amused over the top of his teacup.

Pikachu ignored their conversation, concentrating on eating his berry pastry instead.

After paying their bill, the three humans and their two pokemon headed for the largest building in the city: a grey stone building with a round dome on top.

At the front door however, they found a sign that said the museum was closed.

“That’s odd,” White said, staring at the sign. “The brochure said the event was supposed to start today. Maybe we should come back later?”

Satoshi walked up to the door and knocked insistently, “Hey! Is anyone in there? I want to challenge the gym!”

“Satoshi! That’s ru-“ A sudden loud scream cut White off. It was coming from inside the museum!

The scream startled Pikachu into climbing up Satoshi and into his arms, and the two of them gave the twins determined looks before knocking on the door once again, calling out for someone to answer them.

The door finally opened and out spilled a man in a suit. He was breathing heavily like he had been sprinting and collapsed to the floor in front of them.

“Are you alright?” Satoshi asked, bewildered as he knelt to the ground to help the man out.

“T-there w-w-was a f-f-fos,” the man stuttered. He was gasping for breath, his face looked terrified.

“Hey, calm down for a moment,” White said as she helped lift him up from the other side. They lead the man over to a nearby bench to allow him to catch his breath.

Once he calmed down, the man explained that there was an incident the night before the opening when they were setting up the new exhibition. He had heard sobbing in the museum when there wasn’t supposed to be anyone there and then footsteps and an unusual flame chased him out. The next day, he and the museum crew didn’t see anything out of the ordinary but the exhibit was postponed until this was investigated.

However just now, when he was locking up, he was chased out by a floating Dome Fossil before he ran into them.

“And you didn’t see anything else?” White asked after the story was done.

The man shook his head, “It was very dark and all I saw was one of our fossils floating in the air and coming right at me.”

“We should investigate and get more information,” Black suddenly spoke up. “I think there must be a good reason for something like this to happen.”

White nodded in agreement while Satoshi let out a frustrated sound, “But I wanted to have a gym battle!”

“I’m sorry,” said the man. “Even if the gym could be opened, Dear is on a business trip.”

“Dear?” Satoshi asked, perplexed by the name.

“Oh, where are my manners?” The man exclaimed, standing up and straightening his suit before holding out a hand, “My name is Kidachi, vice curator of the Nacrene Museum! And Dear is my wife, Aloe, she is the gym leader here.”

Satoshi shook his hand enthusiastically, “I’m Satoshi and this is my partner Pikachu.”

“Pi-kachu!”

“My name is White, and my brother here is Black,” said White with a small smile.

“Pleased to meet you!” Kidachi said warmly, “Forgive me, I’m a little bit flustered given the recent events. I give the tours in the museum you see.”

“Could we have a tour then?” Black asked, his brown eyes seemed to glint in focus, “There’s something I want to see.”

* * *

 

“This is the Dome Fossil,” Kidachi said. He no longer sounded nervous but White guessed that he was good at disguising his fear in favour of talking about his passions.

And Kidachi was definitely passionate. With each artifact he introduced, he talked with great respect and knowledge about them.

Satoshi seemed to be interested in listening to all the stories, which is just as well, considering there was no gym battle to be had at the moment so he would have to occupy his time with something else.

She looked around to see where her brother had wandered off to and saw him near the newly set up exhibit, staring intently at something.

Back with Satoshi and Kidachi, she accompanied them both to a large skeletal statue standing upright in the middle of the room. Satoshi stared in awe as Kidachi began explaining that this was a fossil of the Dragon-type pokemon Dragonite

“Dragonite!” Satoshi exclaimed in recognition, “They are really strong pokemon!”

“Indeed! They have been known to fly great distances,” said Kidachi. “This one was theorized to have become a fossil due to an accident while it was flying around the world, and is on loan from the Dragon Village because they were the ones to uncover it.”

While Satoshi and Pikachu both stared in fascination, White said, “I heard a story about the Dragonite skull.”

Kidachi’s eyes widened, “Y-yes, well of course you must have. Most of Unova must have heard about it by now… well, you see, a little while ago, the Dragonite skull was stolen from us under our very noses!”

“What?” Satoshi yelped, taken aback, “Who did that?”

“It was a notorious gang who used to stir up trouble: Team Plasma.”

“Team Plasma?” Satoshi said, testing the words on his tongue.

“Yes, but the skull was quickly recovered thanks to a team effort by skilled trainers, including my Dear,” said Kidachi with a note of pride.

Satoshi nodded, “What happened to Team Plasma?”

“Oh, don’t you worry about them anymore. They’ve been disbanded,” Kidachi continued walking to the next display, “Now… this item is very interesting. It’s a meteorite that contains an unknown energy said to be not from this planet.”

“Wow!”

White walked a few steps ahead of them, keeping an eye out for the mysterious phenomenon as well as her brother. She noticed another case nearby containing a smooth looking stone. Kidachi walked up behind her and saw what she was looking at.

“Oh! Now this one is a truly interesting artifact. This is a replica to show us what the Light Stone looked like! It is what the legendary pokemon Reshiram looked like when it was dormant and resting!”

“Legendary pokemon?” Satoshi sounded really excited and he crowded behind White to peer at the stone.

“Yes, Reshiram and Zekrom are said to be the legendary pokemon that founded Unova,” said the vice curator. He seemed to feed off Satoshi’s excited energy and the two of them stared at the replica as though it held all the secrets of the universe.

White snorted quietly as she moved back behind them. Legendary or not, that stone was a fake after all. What was there to be excited about?

When the tour was over, they met up with Black in the library.

“Our library is used by researchers all over the world,” said Kidachi, gesturing to the floors and floors of bookshelves. “We allow them to study the displays and do their research here.”

“Did you find anything?” White asked her brother.

He shook his head, “I didn’t see anything strange, but… I have a feeling it’s because of one of the artifacts.”

“That would rule out the Light Stone,” White mused, causing Black to stare at her.

“Light Stone?”

“Yeah, it’s a fake, so it can’t be the cause of anything strange… unless you think there’s more to it?” 

Black shook his head.

“Well I didn’t see or hear anything strange,” Satoshi proclaimed, “Just my stomach...” They could hear a gurgling sound coming from Satoshi's stomach, and then an echo of the noise from Pikachu as well.

“Piiika,” Pikachu sounded embarrassed too.

“May we set up camp?” Black asked Kidachi, “If we wait, we might be able to experience this strange phenomenon for ourselves.”

“You are very brave children,” said Kidachi, looking startled. “Very well, I am also curious to find out.”

* * *

 

He opened his eyes and everything looked blurry. Blinking to clear his vision, Satoshi reacted to someone nudging him and he turned his head. Half of the lights in the museum were turned on, casting a dim glow on everything. There was a slight weight on his legs.

“Satoshi!” Black hissed from beside him, causing him to sit up and look at his friend in confusion. Pikachu stirred a bit next to him and also woke up.

“What? What’s going on?”

“I felt an unnatural chill,” Black said and then Satoshi noticed his friend was clutching his short sleeves and shivering a little.

“Osha!” Bijou nodded in agreement with her trainer. She was the one standing on his sleeping bag.

“What’s going on?” White asked sleepily, rolling out of her own bag.

Suddenly, a black mist steeped into the room. Kidachi, wide-awake now, leaped up in terror, “This is… this must be part of the strange things that have been happening!”

There was a clang, the sound of two metals colliding, and down the hall, they all saw a large figure looming in the doorway. It walked towards them, loudly banging its steel plates together. It looked like the suit of armour that stood in one of the exhibits! The armour reached down to its hilt and drew out a sword, looking shadowy and menacing despite having no face.

White was suddenly awake now and leapt to her feet, “There’s something weird going on,” she said in alarm. “That suit of armour can’t be walking by itself!”

“Is it trying to tell us something?” Black wondered.

“Pikachu, use Quick Attack!” Satoshi shouted and his faithful partner charged at the armour.

The armour fell apart but it didn’t stop moving and it quickly reassembled itself to everyone’s shock. Satoshi recovered from his shock fast and called out another attack.

“Use Volt Tackle!”

“Wait!” Black cried, “The armour is a museum artifact! Don’t destroy it!”

But it was too late as Pikachu in his yellow electric cloak slammed into the armour and it fell apart once again. They waited a moment to see what would happene next and a flame appeared from within the armour.

“That flame… Kidachi mentioned a flame before didn’t he?” Black muttered, pre-occupied with trying to figure out the mystery.

The small flame flew out around Satoshi first who flinched from the heat and then it started chasing after Kidachi. This snapped Black out of his musings and he said to his own pokemon, “Bijou, can you use your Water Gun to try and douse that flame?”

“Osha!” Bijou nodded eagerly, jumping out and letting loose a stream of water that burst out and the flame vanished…

…Only to reappear inside the armour’s helmet which began to chase the vice curator once again.

“Help!” Kidachi cried out, “Why is it angry at me?”

They all chased after the spirit to get it to stop attacking the curator but Black decided to leave that to Satoshi and White while he stopped to think. There was a crash and then rain began to fall from out of nowhere. In the silence of the rain, they could hear sobbing and crying.

“A ghost who is crying,” Black said absently. He thought back to all the artifacts in the museum. Only two of the artifacts he saw belonged to ghost-type pokemon – the coffin and the mask.

He ran to the display and noticed the coffin stood motionless but the mask-

The golden-plated mask had tears flowing from its eyes.

“Kidachi!” Black called out frantically.

Suddenly the mask leapt up from the case and crashed in to the glass repeatedly, startling him so much that he fell over with a yelp.

After a moment, Kidachi answered his call and also saw the crying mask. He recoiled in shock, “That can't be possible!”

Black waved towards the case in a silent demand to open it and the curator rummaged around for the key to the display to unlock it. The mask flew forward, nearly taking taking Kidachi’s head out and rose up into the air. It then began glowing a dangerous red colour.

“Well that’s not good,” White said, tugging Satoshi backwards. “I think its trying to curse us!”

“Wait!” Black shouted at the mask as he scrambled to get back on his feet. “You’re the pokemon, Yamask, aren’t you? You have the mask now so stop this!”

The answering sound was a gust of wind and then a high-pitched intelligible screeching was heard. Everybody in the room flinched, staring up at the mask in fear.

“Why are you doing this?” Black asked desperately.

The high-pitched sound got louder and the light intensified.

“It’s because that mask was real.” A voice drifted over to them and they turned to see a woman by the door.

“Dear!” Kidachi cried in relief.

“Kidachi, where did you find that mask?” Kidachi’s wife, Aloe, asked, striding into the room.

“I found it lying around on the floor while we were carrying things in for the exhibit,” Kidachi answered, looking contrite. “Even though we didn’t order it, I thought perhaps the manufacturing company threw it in as an extra and that it was part of the Cofagrigus exhibit…”

Aloe shook her head in exasperation, “So there you have it,” she said to the spirit, “It was an honest mistake.”

The spirit didn’t appear to sound understanding and the Dragonite skeleton sprang to life, stomping around in a fit of anger.

Aloe took out a pokeball, “Watchog, come out!”

A bipedal pokemon appeared and immediately began emitting a bright light that filled the room, and this light subdued the Dragonite. It crumpled and a small shadow was seen under the glare of the light and it moved to the floating mask.

Kidachi zigzagged over to get close to the floating mask. “Yamask!” He cried, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to take your mask! Will you please forgive me for my mistakes?”

“So the Yamask thought Kidachi had taken his mask but Kidachi thought it was just a replica for display,” Black concluded.

“You’re sharp, kid,” Aloe recalled her pokemon and then winked at him. Black looked away in embarrassment.

The Yamask seemed to finally forgive Kidachi for the mishap and then materialized into a small black head with black arms and holding the mask that was once in the display case.

Satoshi scanned his pokedex, _Yamask, the Spirit Pokemon. Yamask is a Ghost-type Pokemon that wanders the ruins of ancient civilizations._

Yamask floated around happily hugging its mask.

“Wow, it’s a pretty cute pokemon,” Satoshi commented to White’s disbelief.

“Yeah well all that scaring wasn’t cute to me,” she muttered and shook her head, but she was happy as well that everything was resolved.

As they stepped out of the museum to say farewell to the Yamask, the sun was just peeking over the trees.

“I can’t believe we’ve been up all night chasing a ghost-type pokemon,” White complained with a yawn.

“Yeah, but it’s the perfect morning for a gym battle,” Satoshi said, turning to Aloe.

“So you’re here for a gym battle huh?” Aloe asked with a warm smile on her face.

“That’s right! My name is Satoshi and I am here to challenge you for a gym badge.” Satoshi said.

“Pi-pikachu!” Pikachu echoed his trainer’s eagerness.

“I like your enthusiasm,” said Aloe with a twinkle in her eyes. “I accept.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original -> Dub  
> Kidachi = Hawes  
> Aloe = Lenora
> 
> \- “Dear” would translate to “Anata” in Japanese which is an endearment said by husband and wife.  
> \- It wouldn’t be Chapter 13 without a little bit of spookiness added to it right?  
> \- Thanks for reading!


	14. Underneath the Staircase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the battle for Satoshi’s second badge begins…. And ends… and begins again.

## Part I – Battle for the Basic Badge

Back inside the Nacrene Museum, the trio followed Aloe and Kidachi back through the exhibits. The place was still a mess from their overnight ordeal. Black and White left to go pack up the small makeshift campsite while Satoshi helped Kidachi put the armour back to where it used to be.

When that was all done, the group met up with Aloe and they followed her past the rest of the museum straight to the library.

Satoshi looked around to note that there was only shelves everywhere, “So where is the battle arena?” He asked in confusion. All he saw around them were books.

He turned around to find Aloe observing him intently and behind her, Kidachi opened another door to lead them all through. In the next room, it was another dead end, but there were even more books and papers strewn everywhere.

“This is where all the most priceless books and history papers are kept,” Aloe said, gesturing to the slightly messy tables and the chairs left everywhere in odd places. “Both researchers and trainers come here to study the history of Unova as well as the Pokemon.

“Man, this place must be like paradise for you,” White teased her brother.

Black was too intently studying the spines of a few books to hear her properly, but Aloe had a knowing look in her eyes when she said to him, “You enjoy books do you?”

“Yes,” Black answered absent-mindedly while flipping through the pages of a book he snagged from the nearby desk.

Aloe turned to Satoshi and White, “and what about you two? Would you like to read about the history of Unova? Or perhaps something rarely known about a Pokemon?”

“Uh, I’d rather battle than study,” said Satoshi and White agreed with him, “Yeah I prefer learning through doing than through a boring old book.”

“That seems well suited to the both of you,” Aloe mused, and then she knocked on a book behind her. “But sometimes knowledge during a battle may be just as important as using strength. I suggest you take a look at this book.”

“But I don’t-“ Satoshi started to protest when White nudged his shoulder.

“Aloe is a gym leader,” White pointed out. “She might be trying to give you a hint here.”

“Or even a test,” Black said as he came over while holding a book up and Bijou was on his head instead. “Gyms often start testing trainers the moment they walk in.”

Aloe just smiled.

Satoshi thought for a moment, “Okay, I’ll do whatever it takes to get a gym match then,” and he pulls the book from the shelf.

Suddenly the bookshelf moved, revealing a staircase underneath it.

“It was indeed a test,” Aloe confirmed. “I usually do this to judge what kind of personality a trainer has. Many other trainers would go for a book they’re interested in rather than the one I suggest.” White looked abashed at hearing that.

“So then what about me?” Satoshi asked, pointing to himself.

“I would say that you seem straight-forward but easy to tease,” Aloe said with a twinkle in her eyes.

“That’s pretty accurate,” said White with a laugh.

“But I’ll prove to you what I am really like in a battle,” Satoshi replied, “Please watch me, Aloe.”

Aloe looked pleased at hearing that, “I shall.”

The group descended the staircase to the awaiting battlefield.

Kidachi turned on the lights in the room to reveal a brown coloured field with all of the markings of a gym. The walls were brightly lit in a grass green shade, different from the shelves of the museum library, and above the gym leader’s wall was the symbol for the official Pokemon gym.

Satoshi ran with relief and excitement to the center of the field, “Yes! I’m ready for this battle.”

Aloe laughed, “You certainly are in high spirits. Okay then, Satoshi. Here are the rules of the gym: We will each use two pokemon with substitutions allowed.”

“As I will be studying your personality and battling style, you should do the same and study mine, so let me introduce you to the Pokemon I will be using.”

Aloe threw out a pokeball and out came a two legged meerkat-like pokemon with strange eyes. Satoshi recognized it as the pokemon she used in the museum earlier and took out his pokedex for more information.

_Watchog, the Lookout Pokemon, and the evolved form of Patrat. Watchog’s body contains luminescent compounds, which allow its eyes and stripes to glow._

Satoshi nodded, “I thought you would be using that one.”

Aloe recalled her Watchog and threw out another ball, “And this is the one I will starting the battle with.”

When the light faded, a little brown dog-like pokemon stood on the field. It looked very happy and playful, wagging its behind.

White shrieked all of a sudden, “Lillipup! So adorable!” She ran onto the field to play with the little Pokemon. Pikachu and Bijou both jumped off their trainers to join her in greeting and playing with the Lillipup.

Satoshi turned the Pokedex over to where White and the others were.

_Lillipup, the Puppy Pokemon. The long hair covering Lillipup’s face is an excellent radar, which sense conditions in the surrounding area._

“These two are great museum guards,” said Aloe affectionately.

“Lillipup is really cute,” Satoshi said, leaning down to pet the Lillipup, “I’m ready for this!”

“Aww, okay, come on you two, Lillipup has to work now,” White said as she herded Pikachu and Bijou to the sidelines. “Black, aren’t you going to watch?” She asked when she saw that he still had his nose in the book.

“Hmm? Oh, yes,” Black said, closing the cover. Bijou reached up for a hug and he picked her up and put her back on his head.

From the center of the field, Kidachi raised a hand as the official referee.

“This will be a battle for badge between Gym Leader Aloe and the challenging trainer, Satoshi. You may use two pokemon each with substitutions allowed. And… begin!”

Aloe’s Lillipup immediately went from playful to ferocious, which took Satoshi aback at the sudden change.

“Okay…” He said and pulled out a pokeball, “I choose you, Tepig!”

Tepig appeared in a flash of light and White actually _squealed_ , “oh my gosh, it’s like a battle of cute versus cute here.”

“That’s right, you really like Lillipup too,” said Black in realization.

“You just noticed?” White retorted.

“I… wasn’t paying attention,” Black replied.

“I know,” White said, amused.

Back in the battle, Aloe had Lillipup use Roar and Tepig was forced out.

“What…” Satoshi’s next ball rattled from the force of the Roar and it opened to reveal Pidove swooping down. The little bird pokemon looked terribly confused at the sudden interruption.

“Ah, Roar forced a switch-out,” White commented from the side.

Aloe chuckled and recalled her Lillipup to bring out her Watchog.

“Oh no, that’s not what I wanted to do…” Satoshi fumbled to bring out Pidove’s pokeball but Aloe ordered for Watchog to use Mean Look and now his pokeball won’t open.

“That is a great strategy,” Black remarked, abandoning his book completely to focus on the match, “It messes up a trainer’s plans completely. I wonder what Satoshi is gonna do next.”

“Piiii…” Pikachu said from White’s shoulder, starting to sound worried.

Satoshi shook himself to clear his head, “No matter, we’re going to win. Let’s do this Pidove.”

Pidove cooed her determination and took to the air.

“Use Air Cutter!”

The strong slices of wind pelted the Watchog, though the Watchog was nimble enough to dodge some of them and got close enough to launch a swift kick that sent Pidove backwards.

“Are you okay?” Satoshi called and Pidove cooed back, not looking too fazed.

“Not bad,” Aloe acknowledged, “You have a strong pokemon there, but I think this is gonna make things tricky, use Thunder Bolt!”

Satoshi gasped, “Pidove, dodge it!”

Pidove took to the air swiftly but she wasn’t fast enough to avoid the hit and that brought her down to the ground, knocked out by the powerful blast.

“And… Pidove is out!” Kibachi called.

“You did so well there,” Satoshi comforted her before recalling her. Aloe did the same with hers before sending out her Lillipup once again.

Black and White stood there, stunned by how quick the battle had gone by. Pikachu’s ears drooped a little in concern that this wasn’t going too well.

Satoshi took out another Pokeball, “Okay Tepig, it’s your turn!”

Tepig appeared once again, raring to go.

“Use Tackle!”

Tepig rushed the Lillipup who easily moved aside. Aloe called for Shadow Ball and a dark coloured ball formed in Lillipup’s mouth and shot forward, hitting Tepig dead-on.

Satoshi cried out but when the dust cleared, Tepig was still standing. He ordered Ember next and the small flames attack hit the Lillipup but it didn’t seem to do much damage.

Then Aloe shouted her next attack, “Lillipup, use Take Down!”

Lillipup shot off like a rocket and charged down Tepig, knocking the little pig pokemon backwards in a fierce hit. This time, Tepig was knocked out.

Kidachi made the final judgment, “Tepig is unable to battle! The winner is Aloe!”

“Tepig, are you alright?” Satoshi ran onto the field, and so did White with Pikachu.

Tepig looked upset when Satoshi reached him and he patted the little fire pig. “This wasn’t your fault, it was mine.”

“You did the best you could,” White encouraged, feeling the need to cheer Tepig up. “With some training, you can do even better.”

Aloe walked over to them and Satoshi got up, “Thank you for the battle.” He said with a polite bow.

The gym leader nodded, “Your battle style is very straightforward and you face any challenge head-on. I can see that you have potential. You are welcome to come back when you want a rematch.”

She left with Kidachi to give the trio some privacy.

Black came over to give his own words of encouragement, “She said ‘When.’ I think Aloe already knows that you will try again, Satoshi.”

Both Satoshi and Tepig had twin looks of disappointment and White couldn’t take the dual sad looks and tugged them out to get to the nearest pokemon center as quick as possible.

* * *

 

That night…

“Infiltration is successful.”

“Okay, remember you two, you have twenty seconds before the sensors go back on.”

“No sweat, I’ll do it in ten.”

“Stop dawdling and just do it!”

“…Decoy set.”

“Great, now get out of there.”

“Done!”

“Operation Meteonite was a success.”

In the darkness, two figures crept into an unmarked van parked in the back of the museum and they drove away into the night.

 

 

## Part II – The Rematch

Satoshi groaned. Loudly.

“What’s the matter with you?” White asked, looking at her friend slouching over his egg incubator. She has never seen Satoshi so down before.

“I know I lost, but that match went worse than I thought it would,” Satoshi said unhappily.

“Don’t let Tepig hear that,” White warned, “he’ll think it’s his fault.”

Satoshi furrowed his brow in confusion, “But it’s not, he did the best he could.”

White shook her head but decided not to press the subject. Black looked up from his seat to look Satoshi in the eye. He said carefully, “Are you giving up?”

“No way!” Satoshi said in surprise, nearly toppling over in his chair. “I will never give up on this!”

“Never give up huh?” Black mused thoughtfully. He avoided his sister’s pointed gaze and went back to patting and massaging Bijou on the head.

White huffed at her brother’s non-committal reaction and turned back to Satoshi, “Maybe you need a new method.”

“What do you mean?”

“It might be a good idea to do some special training.”

Black perked up at the thought of unique training, “Aloe is a very tricky opponent. You could try the Battle Club for training and Don Georges might even be able to give a few hints for strategy.”

Satoshi loved that idea and jumped up immediately, “Yes! Let’s go do some training!” He ran out of the pokecenter, fully intending on doing this right away.

The twins gave exasperated huffs as they looked at each other, “Satoshi wait up! Do you even know where the club is?”

* * *

 

Like all of the previous Battle Clubs, the one in Nacrene City was also managed by one of the Don Georges and the facility was top-notch state of the art.

Don Georges happily agreed to help Satoshi train and led them to an exercise room where equipment of all kind was set up. The first step on the agenda was to increase speed and then to increase the strength of a pokemon’s attack.

“In order to train and improve your pokemon, you need to train and improve along with them,” Don Georges lectured.

“I also have to improve?” Satoshi asked in confusion.

“If you don’t want to be startled by tactics like Roar and Mean Look, then you have to also be prepared to act,” Don Georges explained with a knowing nod.

“Okay! I understand,” Satoshi agreed and he and Tepig both hopped on a treadmill together, and they encouraged each other to train harder.

Next, Don Georges got them to dodge balls being shot out of cannons to practice evasion. Satoshi got too into encouraging Tepig that he didn’t see one of them hit him in the face. Don Georges barked at them to remind them that the real battle would be much tougher than this.

White stifled a laugh from the side as she and Black watched the practice sessions.

“He really is something isn’t he?” She commented to her brother. “His energy is boundless.”

Black nodded, “Yeah. His passion is so… powerful.”

“It makes me want to train as well. I forgot how much fun it can be.” White said after another moment. She wanted to gauge what Black would say to that.

After another pause, Black said quietly, “Me too.”

With getting that concession, she felt that she was making progress in helping her brother overcome his inhibitions. White couldn’t prevent the joy bubbling through her and she smiled big and wide while turning her attention back to the training session.

When Satoshi and Tepig were exhausted from speed training, Don Georges switched the training exercise to focus on Satoshi’s Pidove next and they left following the Don to another part of the facility.

Black and White took Tepig for a food break in the cafeteria where they got pokemon food bowls for both him and Bijou.

“I’m really glad Satoshi is taking good care of you,” White said to Tepig.

“Tep Tep!” Tepig said cheerfully. I’m glad he likes me!

“He is a good trainer,” said Black. “He treats his pokemon very well and they love him in return. He’s… inspiring.”

White looked thoughtful, “Inspiring huh? It’s good to have such a good attitude when you have a goal to reach.”

“The Pokemon League…” Black trailed, uncertain about broaching this topic. “He wants to be a Pokemon Master, which also means being the best there is. If this is what he is like, then he is already a great trainer.”

“That’s high praise,” said White in surprise.

Black shrugged, “Being strong doesn’t always mean being good, and if Satoshi continues this way, he can become both and I… I really hope to see that happen.”

* * *

 

When Satoshi returned with his Pidove, he proudly announced that his Pidove learned a new move: Double Team.

“Wow, that’s definitely proof you have been training hard!” White exclaimed.

The last leg of the training was to continue raising Tepig’s speed and power simultaneously which mean they were back on the treadmills and dodging cannon balls.

Tepig’s fire began burning hotter which meant his attacks were in fact getting stronger.

To everyone’s shock, the flames engulfed Tepig as he ran faster and faster on the treadmill, knocking any balls away when it came into contact. There was a shout from the sideline and White came charging through. She gracefully dodged every ball in her way until she came next to Tepig.

“Your Tepig learned Flame Charge! He learned Flame Charge!” She shouted excitedly, not noticing the bug eyes that Satoshi and Don Georges sported simultaneously, shocked that she was keeping in time with the cannon balls and Tepig easily while also celebrating the new move.

Black inwardly sighed as he also went to go join them, taking care to pick his way through all the balls bouncing around.

His sister was really something else.

 

* * *

 

“So you’re back!” Aloe said, standing in the middle of the gym. “I had hoped you would come back and show me more of your battling style. You seemed to have gotten stronger,” she observed.

“I have!” Satoshi declared, “I worked really hard at the Battle Club so I can challenge you for the badge again.”

“I’m glad to hear it, and here to welcome you back to gym are my Pokemon. They will be your opponents for today,” the gym leader threw two pokeballs in the air.

Satoshi saw the Watchog, which was to be expected, and then turned to the other pokemon and did a double-take. “What pokemon is that?”

_Herdier, the Loyal Dog Pokemon and the evolved form of Lillipup. Herdier’s hard black fur softens its opponent’s attacks like armor._

“Oooh it’s a Herdier!” White said, “So cute!”

“But it could mean that she might be using a different strategy now,” Black offered.

Aloe looked amused, “Are you ready then? I’ve changed my tactics to match you. Let’s see how much stronger you’ve become!”

“Yeah, your Herdier looks pretty strong,” Satoshi replied.

Kidachi refereed for them again, “This will be a two versus two gym battle between Aloe of Nacrene City and Satoshi from Pallet Town!”

Aloe’s Herdier was going first like last time so Satoshi released Tepig this time.

“And…. Begin!”

After a few attack exchanges in which neither pokemon were really damaged, Aloe reused her Roar and Mean Look strategy and this time Satoshi was ready for it. Their pokemon rotated to become Watchog versus Pidove once again.

“I wonder why Aloe keeps using the same strategy,” White said as she watched the two pokemon going at it. She could see that Pidove has in fact gotten even faster and able to dodge more attacks. “We’ve already seen it and doing it again means easier to counter so why?”

“She is a gym leader,” Black replied, “And the job of a gym leader is to test trainers. Since Satoshi failed to counter it last time, I think Aloe wants to see how he does it this time.”

“It seems like a lot of patience and work to guide trainers. I don’t think I’d ever want to be a gym leader.”

Black suppressed a laugh at that comment, knowing his sister would really be unsuited for gym leadership, and turned back to the battle just Aloe finally decided to use the super-effective Thunderbolt once again.

Satoshi called for Pidove to use her new move and the copies of Pidove took the hit but she was able to evade the deadly attack.

“Pidove, use Quick Attack!”

Pidove swooped down, making a beeline for the Watchog when Aloe also called out a new move, Confuse Ray.

Orbs of light were formed by Watchog and they encircled Pidove, and she stopped flying, appearing to be dazed.

This wasn’t good. No matter how much Pidove has improved, it wouldn’t make a difference if she were confused. Aloe went for the strike and ordered Thunderbolt again.

Satoshi called for Double Team again, only praying that Pidove would be able to pull it off. Pidove kept trying but the Thunderbolt hit dead on, causing her to teeter in the air.

Aloe’s Watchog charged up again for another Thunderbolt and this time Satoshi tried Quick Attack to bring Pidove’s speed back. This time it worked and she slammed hard into the Watchog just as it tried to unleash the Thunderbolt. Both pokemon went down in a tangled collision, and an explosion was set off from the half-finished electric attack.

White’s hand flew to her mouth in shock as she and Black looked on in anticipation. That had to have caused an effect, but which side would still be left standing from it?

When the dust cleared, both pokemon were sprawled on the ground and after a few moments, neither of them moved.

Kidachi blinked before declaring both sides knocked out.

Black and White also blinked in surprise, trying to understand what had happened.

“It looks like Pidove wasn’t able to aim properly during her attack and her erratic movements knocked the breath out of Watchog during the charge build-up. That caused the Watchog to lose control of its attack, which is what resulted in the explosion,” said Black.

Aloe was impressed as she recalled her pokemon, “Good job Satoshi, I didn’t think you’d be able to take out Watchog, but… the battle is just beginning.” She released her Herdier.

Satoshi recalled Pidove after thanking her for her efforts and sent out Tepig, “We’re ready for you,” he said confidently and Tepig pawed the ground in agreement.

As the match continued, Tepig was having a tough time landing any really big hits against Herdier. Then Aloe ordered Herdier to use Giga Impact, which was a really strong move and Tepig was sent sprawling from it.

“Oh no!” White cried, getting increasingly worried about Tepig.

Tepig got back up, determined to continue fighting but, as the twins observed with growing worry, he had taken a lot of damage and another attack might end it. Aloe also realized this and called for Herdier to use Shadow Ball, which Tepig was able to dodge.

Satoshi realized Tepig still had enough energy left and decided to end the battle with a Flame Charge. Herdier countered with Giga Impact, resulting in another explosion.

Black was starting to feel like watching Satoshi battle was an exercise in heart attacks.

When the dust cleared again, both pokemon were again on the ground but Kidachi spotted movement, and Tepig struggled a bit but rose to his feet. Herdier did not get up.

“Tepig is the winner! Which means the winner of this match is Satoshi!”

Satoshi and White exploded into cheers, and even Black joined in this time as he and White ran onto the field to congratulate Tepig on a hard fought match.

“There were so many moments where I thought you were going to lose,” White said to Satoshi, “but you did it!”

“Yeah, it was close,” Satoshi acknowledged through his smile.

Aloe let a breath but she was also smiling as she came over to present the badge.

“The way you battled was so full of heart and surprises,” she told Satoshi.

“I never thought you would use Flame Charge at the last moment,” Kidachi chimed in.

Aloe held up a case and opened it: Inside it was a long rectangle-shaped purple badge set in gold outlines. “You have definitely earned the Basic Badge. Congratulations!”

“Yes!” Satoshi fist pumped in celebration, “I got the Basic Badge!”

After they said farewell to the couple, Satoshi, Black, and White headed back to the pokecenter to heal up Pidove and Tepig. Satoshi also, on Black’s suggestion, asked Nurse Joy to check on his egg.

“Your egg is doing well,” said Joy. “Keep taking good care of it and it will hatch very soon.”

“How exciting,” said White, peering at the egg to see if it will move.

“Thanks Nurse Joy,” said Satoshi and the trio packed up and walked out. The day was still bright

Satoshi turned to his companions, “So where is the next gym?”

White raised an eyebrow at the swift eagerness but answered the question, “That would be Castelia City; it’s the next closest city with a gym.”

“Alright, Castelia City, here we go,” Satoshi cheered and the three of them left the city in high spirits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Movesets:  
> Satoshi’s Pidove - Gust, Air Cutter, Quick Attack, Double Team  
> Satoshi’s Tepig - Ember, Tackle, Flame Charge


	15. The Scrappy Hatchling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which their second egg hatches and… causes a ruckus!

The sunlight glinted off the Basic Badge as Satoshi admired his newly acquired badge, placed next to the Trio Badge. He was sitting on a small rock at their new resting place.

“Only six more badges left huh Pikachu?” He said to his partner.

“Pi-Pika!” Pikachu agreed before wandering off to inspect the rest of their area. It was getting late in the afternoon and White had said that this place would be better for resting before they start looking for a place to camp out at. The area had little flat rocky platforms jutting out all over and covered in grass so they could be more comfortable to sit on. It also overlooked a nice view of the tree lines below and White stood at the edge, admiring the view. Black was sitting on another rock, taking in the breeze and reading a book he had borrowed from Aloe.

On one of the other rock platforms, they had placed their backpacks and Satoshi’s egg. Bijou was strolling nearby when she noticed a movement from the corner of her eye. She turned her attention to the egg incubator and noticed it was shaking.

“Osha, Osha!” Bijou cried out, catching the others’ attention.

“Look! Your egg is glowing!” White exclaimed and they ran over to retrieve it from the pile of bags.

Satoshi held the incubator, admiring the glowing egg. “That means it’s hatching soon!” He said excitedly.

They gently rolled the egg out of the incubator and were now gathered around to watch the egg.

“Since it came from a daycare, it might be a baby pokemon,” Black said thoughtfully.

“I wonder what kind of pokemon it will be,” said Satoshi. He was practically vibrating with excitement and couldn't look away.

Bijou and Pikachu were also entranced by the egg when White suddenly had a thought, “Hey! Since this is our second egg, that means Shiro will become a big brother!”

“Oh,” Black’s eyes grew wide, “You’re right.” He took out a pokeball and released the Deino.

Shiro appeared and lifted his head up questioningly. Black crouched down, reached out and patted him on the head. Shiro nudged closer to the touch.

“Hey Shiro,” Black said gently, “Satoshi’s egg is about to hatch just like when we hatched you. You’re going to have a little sibling!”

He directed the Deino over to the egg and Shiro nosed the egg curiously, and then suddenly head-butted the egg. It launched the egg off the pillow and went rolling down the hill!

“THE EGG!” White and Satoshi shouted simultaneously and took off to try and catch it.

The egg rolled downhill, and then hit a bump that bounced it right into the air. After another bounce, it was in air again heading straight for a sharp looking rock!

Everyone shouted in alarm and Satoshi quickly got Pikachu to use Quick Attack to go faster, hoping he will get there in time to catch the egg.

Pikachu made a desperate leap into the air and grabbed onto the egg before rotating his body around so that he rolled onto the ground with the egg safely in his grasp.

Satoshi and the others quickly caught up, “Pikachu! Are you okay? Is the egg okay?” He asked.

Pikachu got up and observed the egg, “Pika!” He said, smiling. The egg is fine!

Black let out a huge sigh of relief, “I’m sorry for the trouble,” he said, hanging his head. “I think Shiro thinks head-butting is the way to greet everybody.”

Satoshi waved his apology, “Don’t worry about it, the egg is fine and everything worked out.”

Suddenly the egg glowed strongly, and everyone turned around to see as the light glowed bright and bright. There was a dazzling flash of light and then in the egg’s place, a little orange pokemon appeared.

It looked a little like a lizard but it stood upright, with big oval eyes, thin arms, and a scrunched up tail.

“Scrag?” The pokemon lifted his bottom skin up like a pair of pants and they fell back down.

“It’s a Scraggy!” Black said, lighting up in excitement.

“It’s kind of cute actually,” White admitted, peering at the pokemon who was staring back inquisitively.

“A Scraggy huh?” Satoshi scanned his newly hatched pokemon.

_Scraggy, the Shedding Pokemon. The lower half of Scraggy’s body is covered by a tough rubbery skin and when someone makes eye contact it responds with Headbutt._

Satoshi smiled brightly at Scraggy, “Hi Scraggy, nice to meet you, I’m Satoshi!”

“Pi-pika!” Pikachu added, introducing himself as well.

Scraggy turned to Pikachu. After a moment of staring, it scrunched up its face and tried to loom over Pikachu. The electric mouse looked confused by the twisting expression.

“What is Scraggy doing?” White asked in a low voice.

“It looks like the move Leer? I think?” Black replied.

Then Scraggy suddenly reared its head back and Pikachu reacted by moving away and the little lizard-like pokemon skidded with its head scraping the ground, to everyone’s confusion.

Black and Shiro exchanged looks, “Your little brother is acting funny,” said Black, amused.

“Osha!” Bijou said, agreeing from her perch on her trainer’s shoulder.

Satoshi had a guess, “Did you want to battle Pikachu?” He asked.

Scraggy picked himself up and looked ready to go at it again, so he took that as a yes.

“So then how about we battle him Pikachu?” Satoshi said to his partner.

“Pikaaa?” Pikachu looked taken aback.

“It figures Satoshi would understand the language of a Pokemon battle,” White said, laughing a little.

The 'battle' was a little strange since Satoshi was commanding both sides but it quickly became apparent that Scraggy, being a newborn, was more bark than bite as his moves weren’t exactly being effective. Bijou and Shiro looked on, amused by what was happening.

“Satoshi, be careful, Scraggy is still a baby right now,” Black warned.

“Alright then, Pikachu use Thunderbolt! …Or maybe just a small bolt.”**

“Pikaaaaa” Pikachu charged up and, “Chu?” He sent out one jolt that completely knocked Scraggy back.

“Scraggy, are you okay?” Satoshi asked in concern.

Scraggy seemed to get up without any problem, still raring to go.

“Wow, your little brother is very persistent,” White said to Shiro who simply turned towards her but didn’t respond.

“Why don’t we have Scraggy meet the others?” Black suggested, “Maybe he will get along with at least one of them.”

“Good idea,” said Satoshi and he released everyone in his party. White also pulled out her Purrloin and Black released his Emonga to join them.

Scraggy immediately head-butted Pidove, who ran away in terror. Tepig tried to also be friendly but Scraggy tried the same thing, though Tepig didn’t feel much from the sudden hit. The little lizard started stumbling around and tried to shake out of it. He was dizzy from trying to swing his head around and hit the other pokemon.

Kuro didn’t seem interested at all in Scraggy and turned up her nose. She dodged his head-butt with ease and left the scene. White sighed but wasn’t surprised by that outcome. Kuro's personality made her a bit of a loner.

“Scrag Scrag,” Scraggy stumbled around a little before spotting Snivy standing on a tall rock. He tried to head-butt her as well but instead hit the rock she was standing on. Getting dizzy again, the little lizard tried to rush Snivy again but she stopped him in his tracks with his vines rather easily. He tried to push past the vines but ended up tripping and falling.

“Hey, Scraggy, are you okay?” Satoshi asked in concern, kneeling to check on him. Scraggy immediately bounced back up, knocking Satoshi over in the process and he looked around for anybody else to fight.

He turned in Black’s direction and Molly immediately fled up to her trainer’s head and perched there while Bijou seemed to be ignoring the baby pokemon.

Scraggy set his sights on Shiro next and immediately rushed at the Dragon-type pokemon. Shiro let out a happy noise, having thought Scraggy was trying to greet him and he also rushed towards Scraggy. The two met in the middle, hitting each other straight on the head and Scraggy was sent flying into the sky by the force of Shiro’s own Headbutt.

Black and White both face-palmed.

* * *

 

In a dark alleyway, Musashi, Koujirou, and Meowth were patiently watching the laptop in front of them. After a moment, the screen lit up with a call from their contact.

“Have you got the Meteonite?” The caller, Flint, asked.

“We do,” Meowth affirmed.

Flint nodded, “I am sending you the coordinates and time for the next meeting place. Don’t be late.” The screen switched off.

“Come on, let’s go,” Musashi said, and the three of them headed off.

 

* * *

 

“Hey Scraggy, come and eat!” Satoshi’s voice carried over the brook. The group had decided to camp for the night by the water and were having their evening meal. It was getting darker and darker and Satoshi was worried because Scraggy was the only pokemon sitting up on a rock and refusing to come eat.

“Scraggy seems upset,” said White, watching the little lizard. “I wonder what he’s actually thinking about.”

Black looked at Shiro, who was happily eating from his own bowl, thoughtfully. “He might be upset that Shiro beat him so easily… or that none of our pokemon seemed to have taken him seriously.”

“Is that true, Scraggy?” Satoshi called to the hatchling. There was no answer.

“He will get hungry eventually,” White said, indicating the untouched bowl of food still left on the ground. “We’ll just wait it out.”

“Okay,” Satoshi said, stretching and yawning. It had been a long day and he was tired. They decided not to sleep in the tent tonight so they could keep an eye out and then fell asleep in their sleeping bags.

Black felt a prod in his back and shifted away from it. Then he felt another prod and Shiro’s voice making noises and he woke up.

“Shiro?” He said sleepily, “What is it?” Next to him, Bijou blinked away, looking tired as well.

Shiro brayed again in an urgent voice, prodding Black again and he looked around to see what Shiro was worried about. He walked around the campsite before spotting Scraggy’s food bowl being empty. Shiro ran up to the bowl and lead Black over to a set of footprints near it.

Black suddenly realized Scraggy was nowhere to be found and he called for the others to wake up.

“Guys, wake up, Scraggy is gone!” He yelled out and the other two immediately woke up. Satoshi noticed the food missing right away and brightened up.

They followed the footprints to a tree and found Scraggy hitting his head against the tree trunk over and over.

“What are you doing Scraggy?” Satoshi asked, approaching the pokemon, and Scraggy looked up. That’s when White noticed a large shadow approaching and she screamed, “Look out!”

Satoshi and Scraggy look up to a huge yellow pokemon glowering at them with menacing red eyes. It had long limbs and there seemed to be multiple of them, like a spider.

White immediately recognized the pokemon, “It’s a Galvantula! This is not good, Galvantula are territorial and they are very strong pokemon!” She said, gasping with worry.

Satoshi immediately scanned the new pokemon: _Galvantula, the EleSpider Pokemon. Galvantula attacks its prey by shooting electrically charged threads and its front mandibles can hold down opponents._

“Scraggy, you have to get out of there!” Black suddenly shouted and Shiro echoed his trainer’s frantic call, but Scraggy appeared to have gone still with fear, staring the Galvantula down.

Then, without warning, little pokemon surged forward to everyone’s shock, “NO!” Black cried out in distress as they watched Scraggy get hit by a ball of electric energy. They were all too far away to intercept as the Galvantula followed up the attack with an electrically charged web that pinned Scraggy down and then a rain of small spikes pelted him.

Satoshi had enough and ordered Pikachu to use Thunderbolt to drive away the Galvantula so they could get to Scraggy and see the damage.

The little lizard pokemon could barely stand. Small sparks emanated from his body and he was convulsing. Satoshi scooped him up without much fuss, ignoring the little shocks he was getting.

Black examined Scraggy for a moment and confirmed that he has been terribly weakened and suffering from paralysis. There wasn’t a pokecenter nearby but there was medicine in one of the twins’ bags so they had to return to the campsite.

Black dug out a little spray bottle labeled in yellow for paralysis while White looked for some of her potion bottles. Satoshi laid Scraggy down on a make-shift bed to make him feel comfortable while he, Pikachu, Bijou, and Shiro, watched over Scraggy with worry.

With a triumphant sound, White presented a potion bottle to Black and he first applied the healing spray on Scraggy. Satoshi stayed on the other side, murmuring words of comfort as the sparks slowly disappeared. Then the brunet told Scraggy that the potion will help him regain his strength faster and the little lizard drank the potion without complaint.

“Whew, now he just needs a good night sleep,” said Black in relief.

“Thank you, Black.” Satoshi said gratefully. “I am so glad you can help heal them.” It made Satoshi feel safer too.

“It’s not a problem. I used to do this all the time,” said Black with a small smile. They watched the sleeping pokemon for a while until Shiro nudged his trainer again, also wanting to go to rest and they all went to bed as well.

* * *

 

The rumbling of an engine was heard in the distance. Koujirou, Musashi, and Meowth looked up in time to see a helicopter land in front of them at the rendezvous point. The door opened and Flint beckoned them to climb aboard.

Inside the helicopter, Flint said, “This is the Team Rocket Mobile Laboratory, and this is Dr. Seger one of our lead scientists.” He gestured to the man with grey hair and grey moustache beside him.

Dr. Seger peered at them with his monocle, “Let’s see the Meteonite you stole from the museum.” 

Koujirou nodded and handed over the bag and Dr. Seger took the rock over to a table in front of a machine and a green light started scanning the rock. The scientist started pulling up various tabs on the laptop he had setup and they waited as he punched in keys on the keyboard.

The green light that had been scanning turned red and there was something glowing inside the rock. To everyone’s shock, the rock emanated a strong purple glow.

“This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!” Dr. Seger said excitedly, “This rock is made of material not of this world.”

He turned to Flint and the others, “I will be analyzing the rock further, but we should hurry.”

Flint nodded, “We will head to the operation location right away.”

Team Rocket saluted, “Yes Sir!” And the helicopter flew high into the night sky.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Scraggy continued to sleep as they all packed up their sleeping and then began setting up the table for morning breakfast.

By the time they were done, Scraggy was awake.

“Scraggy!” Satoshi said happily, “Are you feeling better?”

Scraggy looked down and moved his arms around and then nodded.

“Do you remember what happened?” Satoshi asked, “Black healed you, you should say thank you to him.”

Scraggy blinked before an angry look crossed his face and he leapt up and stomped away.

“Hey, where are you going?” Satoshi called.

“Shiro, could you look after him?” Black asked his Deino. “Maybe he wants to be left alone for a while.”

Shiro nodded and trotted after his troublesome sibling.

“You seem to be getting along with Shiro pretty well,” White remarked to Black as she set out the plates.

“Yeah, he seems to be well-behaved and you aren’t freaking out when you see him,” said Satoshi. He was setting out the food bowls for the pokemon.

Black stirred the pot he was going to heat up while thinking over White and Satoshi’s comments. “I think it helps that Shiro acts docile. He seems to like communicating through touch,” he decided.

“I’m glad,” said White. “You two could really help each other out.”

A loud bray could be heard in the distance and Black recognized Shiro’s distressed noise, “Oh no, something must have happened.”

Satoshi took out his pokeballs, “Okay this time we’re going to save Scraggy together!”

In a flash, Tepig, Pidove, and Snivy rushed off to find Scraggy with the trainers not too far behind.

They arrived back at the same tree they were last night but this time, Scraggy was surrounded by four Galvantulas! A little further back, Shiro looked distressed.

Black came up his pokemon, “Thank you for letting us know, Shiro,” he praised the Deino.

One of the Galvantulas released a web towards Scraggy and Satoshi sprang into action, getting all of his pokemon to retaliate.

Pidove cut through the web with her wind attacks while Tepig and Snivy countered with Ember and Leaf Storm.

Black’s attention was drawn by a prod from Shiro and the little dragon was looking up at him. He was surprised, “Shiro, do you want to join in?”

The Deino nodded, and Black couldn’t ignore his pokemon’s determination to help.

To White and Satoshi’s shock, Black sent Shiro forward, “Shiro, let’s push them back with Dark Pulse!”

A dark orb crackling with energy formed in Shiro’s mouth. It surged forward to hit a couple of the Galvantula head on. Seeing this, Satoshi enthusiastically joined in and commanded Pikachu to finish the rest of them off with Thunderbolt.

When the dust settled, the Galvantula retreated back into the dark corners of the tree and disappeared.

After a moment, White jumped on her brother’s shoulders, “Wow, that was such a cool move there, bro!”

Black looked sheepish, “Shiro wanted to help Scraggy.”

“That’s right, Shiro is looking out for you,” Satoshi said, turning to Scraggy to check on him. The little hatchling looked uninjured, if a bit dazed by everything that has happened. He then turned to his other pokemon, “You guys all did great,” he said. “Thanks for helping Scraggy out.”

Tepig, Pidove, and Snivy replied with happy and proud sounds.

Satoshi turned back to Scraggy, “If you come with us, we can train together so you’ll grow stronger and have lots of battles. Then we can take on all sorts of strong pokemon! What do you think?” He held up a pokeball for inspection. Scraggy seemed to stare at the trainer with a contemplative look before he nodded and tapped the ball.

After the ball stopped blinking, Satoshi released his newest pokemon, “Thanks Scraggy, and welcome to the team!” Tepig, Pidove, and Snivy clamoured in agreement.

Black smiled and said, “Come on, let’s go eat breakfast together.”

A gurgling noise was heard and they all turned to White who looked sheepish, “What? I was hungry.” The pokemon laughed and chatted together happily as they all headed back to finish their breakfast. Scraggy joined the group of pokemon, clutching his pants and looked happier as he did so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Satoshi gets a Scraggy (too bad he didn’t get him before facing Aloe huh?)  
> \- Satoshi’s Scraggy is revealed to know Headbutt and Leer  
> \- Satoshi’s Scraggy is revealed to be male by Black calling him little brother  
> \- Black’s Deino is revealed to know Headbutt and Dark Pulse
> 
> Other Notes:  
> 1) I adore this episode so here: have a modified version of it.  
> 2) In Bijou-logic, if you can’t see them, then they can’t see you, which… actually works in this scenario since Scraggy regards making eye contact as being the same as battling… kinda like what trainers do haha
> 
> **In Japanese, Thunderbolt is actually called 1000% voltage, so here Satoshi would’ve said something to the effect of using 10% voltage
> 
> The next chapter will be posted in two weeks time, I'm going to be a little busy next week, sorry about that


	16. An Enigmatic Forest, An Enigmatic Artist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they clash with the very first pokemon they meet in Pinwheel Forest.

“Whoa,” Satoshi breathed out as he stared into a vast forest of humongous trees. “This is an amazing looking forest!” All he could in the distance was greenery and shade. It was both simultaneously light out but the paths were darkened by a series of criss-crossing plants.

“This is Pinwheel Forest,” said Black, taking in the sights and smells of the deeply rooted forest.

“Pinwheel Forest?” Satoshi asked.

White nodded, “We have to go through this forest to reach Castelia.”

“Great! So I can get my next badge!” Satoshi said, already all pumped for his next badge.

White sighed, “Of course that’s all you can think about. You should be thinking about how to get through this forest instead.”

“Huh?” Satoshi blinked in confusion at his companions, “What do you mean? Don’t we just walk through it?”

“Yes, there is a straight path through,” said Black, pointing at a wide pathway leading into the forest, “But if we go off the path, Pinwheel becomes a giant maze so we have to be careful.”

“We could get lost,” Satoshi nodded, “Got it.”

As they walked along massive tree trunks and grassy green moss, the sunlight streamed through the dense foliage of the treetops, illuminating the vast greenery and the glistening moss that covered the bedrock. The trees were so dense that it was difficult to tell where one tree ended and another began; the leaves were so close they crushed any visibility, leaving only one path for them to follow.

“This place is so beautiful,” White said in awe. “It’s nice to be able to just walk through this place.”

Black nodded in agreement. He was staring off into the distance, Bijou at his feet sniffing some small flowers at the foot of the tree trunks and staring at the mushrooms sprouting from the wood.

“It really is,” Satoshi replied.

“Pi?” Pikachu perked up but before anyone could say anything. A tiny blur flew in, swooped at them and attacked Pikachu. 

With a startled cry, Pikachu was knocked off Satoshi’s shoulder. He flipped around immediately and responded with a Thunderbolt that missed and hit his trainer instead. The small blur of the attacker sent out a wave of sharp leaves that Pikachu frantically worked to dodge and was unable to see his attacker slam forward.

“What pokemon is that?” Satoshi yelped. The attacking pokemon was stuck to Pikachu’s face. It was a small green leaf that had several legs sticking out. 

Satoshi checked his pokedex: _Sewaddle, the Sewing Pokemon. Sewaddle hides from its enemies by covering its head with a hood made from a leaf, and is known to eat its leafy clothing when food is scarce._

The Sewaddle jumped off of Pikachu and turned to face them.

“Oh it kind of has a cute face,” White commented.

“It looks really strong,” said Satoshi, grabbing an empty pokeball. “Let’s catch it!”

But before he could toss the ball, the Sewaddle shot out an extremely long sticky string right at him, wounding around over and over and knocking him over.

The twins gasped at the sight of a ball-shaped Satoshi. “Are you okay?” White asked.

Satoshi got up determinedly, despite being tangled in sticky strings that Pikachu was able to free with his tail. “Let’s get that Sewaddle, Pikachu!”

Pikachu fired off a Thunderbolt that Sewaddle dodged and then shot out more string and swung away.

“Hey! Wait up!” Satoshi shouted as he and Pikachu rushed off after the bug and leaving Black and White behind.

“Osha?” Bijou asked, staring at the duo’s retreating backs.

“Yeah, I kind of expected this to happen,” said Black, rubbing his head with a mixture of resignation and disbelief.

White nodded in agreement, “Come on, we’ll get left behind again and then we’ll never find them in this forest!”

Luckily, they didn’t have to run far to find Satoshi and Pikachu further inside the forest, but they had unfortunately lost sight the Sewaddle.

“Awww I wanted to catch that Sewaddle though,” Satoshi said, a bit disappointed.

“Oh well,” White said, shrugging her shoulders.

“I’m sure you’ll find lots of other pokemon here,” Black tried to cheer his friend up. He looked around, noting that they were no longer on the wide path. “But we have another problem. We got off the main path.”

White and Satoshi gasped and looked around. It was trees everywhere as far as they could see. The path in front of them was no longer straight but instead zigzagged along the foliage and out of sight in multiple directions. There was no way to tell which direction was the right one.

“What do we do now?” Satoshi asked as he swiveled his head between all the different possible paths.

White spotted an extraordinarily large tree in the distance and pointed at it, “We should be able to spot the main road from up there.”

“Good idea!” They ran together through the trees, towards the largest one.

Satoshi and Pikachu ran straight up the trunk, struggling to hold on as they climbed higher and higher.

Black and White exchanged grins before jumping up into the tree together, Bijou shouting in delight the whole way.

In the next moment, the three of them were high up in the treetops and looking out into the vast canopy.

“Wow, it’s so big,” White observed, “Can you guys see the main road?”

“No, but what is that?” Satoshi asked, pointing to something behind them.

“Huh?” The twins turned around to see a large green cocoon hanging from the branches.

“Well spotted!” The cocoon said to their great shock and it unfolded to reveal… a man!

“Whoa!” The trio gasped, tripping backwards into each other while the figure leapt forward to land on the ground in front of them.

“Oops, sorry for scaring you!” The man said, standing up from his crouch. He wore a deep purple scarf, a green shirt that blended well with the forest colours around him and long pinstriped pants.

“I am the one they call Arti, artist extraordinaire!” The person, Arti, introduced himself with an elegant wave. “I am also the gym leader of Castelia City.”

“You’re a gym leader?” Satoshi said in amazement, “I’m Satoshi and this is my partner, Pikachu.”

“I’m White,” said White.

“And I’m Black,” Black said, looking away.

Arti smiled enigmatically, “Pleased to meet you all!” He boomed.

“So uh, what were you doing back there?” Satoshi asked, pointing at the green sheet that had fallen to the floor.

“Oh, you see, I’m living in nature like a forest pokemon! I was looking for inspiration, one that will sing to my pure heart!” Arti explained with a flourish. “I was trying to experience life as a insect to see if that would jog my mind.” He pulled out a sketchbook and showed them a few charcoal drawings of the scenery and then a curled up Sewaddle.

“You needed inspiration?” White asked, perplexed.

“I’ve been at a dead end in my production process,” said Arti, dejected.

“But what did you mean by pure heart?” Satoshi wondered.

Before Arti could respond, a pokemon suddenly dropped from in from above them, hitting Satoshi in the face before landing on Arti’s shoulder.

“Hey!” Satoshi rubbed his face, “That’s the Sewaddle from before!”

“Oh is that your Sewaddle?” asked White.

“No, this one is a wild one,” said Arti with a fond smile at the little bug. “And a handsome one at that.”

As the sun rose high above the sky, Arti stayed to camp out with them and tried to teach Satoshi how to bond with the Sewaddle who also decided to hang around.

Black was standing at the makeshift kitchen once again, feeling the calmness of the nature settling around him while Bijou stayed on the countertop, watching the antics of the rest of the group.

White and Pikachu connected with the Sewaddle by tapping heads with it as Arti had instructed but when Satoshi tried, the Sewaddle tackled him instead.

“Well, let’s try something else then,” Arti suggested.

“Hey Black, we’ll be right back!” Satoshi called and the brunet waved them off. They trotted after Arti and they followed the Sewaddle out of sight of the campsite.

Black turned to Bijou, “I hope they’ll be okay.”

Bijou shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.

* * *

 

When they returned, the sun was already setting. Satoshi chatted happily with Black, telling him about the amazing battle they had with a Woobat. White was in a conversation with Arti and the pokemon enjoyed a delicious berry meal.

That night, they settled for sleep under the large tree and the Sewaddle that stayed with them crawled into Satoshi’s sleeping bag, looking content.

“That’s some unusual behavior,” Arti remarked quietly.

“I think they bonded pretty well,” said Black, looking over them fondly.

Arti smiled, “They remind me of someone,” he said before turning in for the night.

The next morning, they awoke to Satoshi shouting frantically that Sewaddle was missing.

“Wait, there!” White shouted, pointing through the trees from her high vantage point at a running Patrat carrying Sewaddle on its back. They watched in disbelief as the Patrat disappeared so they followed it into a cave.

Black was the first to notice through the dark that another Patrat was in the cave but it looked ill. Arti snapped his fingers in realization, “That Patrat was trying to heal its sick friend! See, Sewaddle’s leaves are made from healing-type medicinal leaves.”

Satoshi looked around the cave, “So then where’s Sewaddle?”

“Satoshi, you and I should go to find Sewaddle while these two stay to heal the Patrat,” said White.

“Yeah, okay!”

Arti turned to Black after the others have gone, “Do you have any potions on you?”

Black nodded and reached behind him to grab his backpack, rummaging around and pulling out several bottles.

While he searched for the bottles, Arti turned to Bijou. “So how is traveling with uh… Black? You doing okay?”

“Osh-shawott!” Bijou cried indignantly. Like you have to ask?

Arti laughed sheepishly, “That’s a stupid question huh? You have a great trainer and great traveling companions.”

“Sha-sha-wott,” Bijou said, nodding. We are a great team.

“Okay, these should work,” Black spoke up, coming over and handing Arti two bottles. The gym leader looked at them and nodded affirmatively, “Yup these are good. You’ve been learning a lot about healing.”

Black looked away, embarrassed, “I’ve been studying some of it back at the lab.”

“I’m glad,” said Arti. “With the two you’re traveling with, they must be a handful. I’m sure you’re a big help to them.”

Black blinked in surprise. He hadn’t really thought about being the helpful one in the group. He usually blended behind the group and held his own interests on the side.

But when he thought back on the things that have happened in their journey so far, he has been the one to keep an eye on Satoshi and his sister when they get into shenanigans. “Yeah, you’re right…”

“Come, let’s heal the Patrat and then go catch up to the others. I’m sure they must’ve gotten into something interesting by now,” Arti got out a bowl and mixed the liquids together. Black held the Patrat gently while Arti coaxed the feverish pokemon to drink the slightly bitter liquid.

The moaning and groaning of the Patrat seemed to quiet down and it fell into a deep sleep after drinking the medicine.

“Okay, now they need some rest and they’ll be all better,” Arti said to the other Patrat who looked relieved.

Black retrieved his backpack, picked Bijou up, and followed Arti out of the cave.

They found White and Pikachu standing by the river and she was panicking. “We found Sewaddle but they both fell into the river!”

“Oh no!” Arti immediately started running ahead, “There’s a waterfall at the end of the river!” They rushed along the water and finally spotted Satoshi who was swimming up to Sewaddle struggling to swim. The waterfall Arti mentioned was quickly coming up to them.

Arti pulled out a pokeball just as Satoshi clutched Sewaddle to himself and they both fell over the edge.

“Let’s go Leavanny! Use your string shot and catch them!”

A tall green pokemon appeared and shot out a long string that caught Satoshi, swinging him around back to shore.

They all breathed a sigh of relief when Satoshi landed on land without any problem.

“Wow, who’s that pokemon?” Satoshi asked upon seeing Leavanny.

_Leavanny, the Nurturing Pokemon and Sewaddle’s final evolutionary form. Using sticky threads that come from its mouth, it makes clothes for Sewaddle by sewing leaves together._

“Thanks for the save,” said Satoshi gratefully.

“Leava Leava!”

The Sewaddle’s leafy clothing looked tattered so Arti went to find a special leaf and then asked his Leavanny to take care of it. After a few minutes, Leavanny had fashioned a new leafy wrap to replace the old one and Sewaddle was a lot happier.

Arti said, “The pure-hearted way you rescued Sewaddle despite the dangers really touched my heart. That is truly the definition of a pure heart!”

“You’re exaggerating,” Satoshi said, embarrassed.

“I think Sewaddle agrees with him too,” said White, looking down at the happy little bug hugging Satoshi’s leg.

Satoshi crouched down to ask, “Hey do you want to come with me?”

Sewaddle let out a delighted sound.

“All right then!” Satoshi pulled out a pokeball and tossed it gently at Sewaddle’s head, bouncing off and then the little bug pokemon disappeared. After a few wiggles, the light disappeared and stilled.

“I got Sewaddle!” Satoshi cheered.

White clapped her hands together, “An you really earned that one’s trust.”

Black nodded approvingly, “You definitely won Sewaddle over.” He said.

“That was an amazing performance, worthy of a true bug pokemon user!” Arti gushed, and Satoshi was thoroughly embarrassed by the praises as they left the forest.

 

* * *

 

All of them did a checkup of their pokemon at the PokeCenter. Then, as they left the center, Satoshi released Sewaddle again and picked the little bug up.

“It’s nice to meet you Sewaddle,” said Satoshi. And against he backdrop of the setting sun, they bumped heads with absolute pure contentment on their faces.

Arti suddenly shot up and yelled, “OH INSPIRATION!”

“Huh?!”

“I have a new idea for an inspiring work!” Arti said frantically, “I have to get back to Castelia City!”

“Arti, wait!” Satoshi called, and Arti stopped for a moment and turned to face them.

“I’ll be waiting at the gym for you, Satoshi,” he said enigmatically. And with another swish of his green cloak, the artist was gone.

“Okay! See you then!” Satoshi shouted back with a wave, and his two companions also yelled their goodbyes.

Satoshi turned back to Black and White, already fired up from the day’s event, when a thought suddenly occurred to him.

“Wait, how did Arti know I wanted to challenge the gym?” He asked, momentarily puzzled.

“Ah…” White blinked, “I guess that’s part of being a genius artist!”

Satoshi nodded, “The next gym battle will be amazing, I can just feel it!” He pumped his fists in the air with an invigorated cheer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Notes:  
> I’ve tried to make the lesser important but no less vital chapters shorter, but these somehow still run pretty long.  
> Satoshi catches his fifth Unova pokemon: a Sewaddle!  
> Satoshi’s Sewaddle is revealed to know String Shot
> 
> So... who's excited for Castelia City?? We're almost there~


	17. The Sommeliers of Unova

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Bijou issues royal decrees, Black has an epiphany, and Unova proudly presents the people who “taste” pokemon, wait what?

The next morning was warm and sunny when Satoshi, White, and Black left the pokemon center for the next part of their journey to Castelia City. They have been on the road for a little while when they came across a large building planted in the middle of the road.

It was a very colourful and bright building and there seemed to be an event being held there. There were banners strung up announcing sales, fresh flower bouquets that gleamed in the sunlight, and lots of people milling about.

“This looks like fun,” said White, glancing around. “It looks like the grand opening of a pokemon mart. Maybe they have some cool or unique items!”

“Yeah,” Satoshi agreed, “Let’s check it out.”

Inside the building, the mart was huge and spacious and as colourful as the exterior. Many of the shoppers carried their pokemon around as they checked out the displays and merchandise.

Black took out a piece of paper, “I have a few things I need to get,” he said with a glance at the page.

“Okay, why don’t we split up to explore the store and meet back at the entrance later?” White suggested.

“Sounds good to me!” Satoshi said, and he immediately went to the nearest displays to admire the stones and gems. White also walked away and disappeared behind a thick rack of clothing.

Black wandered around near the back of the buildings, picking up stuff he needed to restock his supplies when Bijou suddenly lunged so hard she almost fell out of his arms.

“Osha! Osha Osha!” She cried excitedly, pointing towards a display. Black obligingly went to the displays that Bijou wanted to see. There were rows upon rows of hair accessories.

Bijou hopped onto the glass display and peered down at the accessories before coming across a set of metal filigrees shaped into flower crowns and she started hopping up and down.

One of the sales associates noticed them and came over, “It looks like your Oshawott is interested in an accessory,” she said with an eager smile.

“Ah…” Black hesitated. He looked back down at his excited partner and thought for a moment. He knew how much Bijou loved flowers, and he was always finding flowers in his own hair that she snuck in. “Would wearable items stay on?”

“You mean like in battles?” The lady replied kindly, “Some of our items like the clips and necklaces may be able to stay on but the feedback we get from trainers say that they often get damaged from more intense battles. The best I can suggest is to simply hold them for your pokemon as these items are better for contests and everyday use.”

Black pondered it for a moment, and then turned to Bijou and asked seriously, “Do you really want one?”

Bijou nodded emphatically.

“And you still want to battle?”

Bijou nodded again.

Black sighed before coming to a decision, “Okay Bijou, choose one then.”

“Oshawott!” The little otter cheered before immediately pointing at one of the silver metal crowns with flowers that resemble daisies chained together. It was filled in with a smooth white finish on the petals and little yellow dots to imitate the pistils.

“This one?” The lady confirmed and Bijou nodded. “That’s a great choice! Your Oshawott has good taste.”

After making the new purchase, Black adjusted the crown length to set it comfortably on her head. Bijou looked extremely content in his arms as they walked away.

* * *

 

Satoshi was wondering what to look at next when he came across a booth that was covered by curtains and there was a long line of people to get into it.

“Huh?” Satoshi stared at the line, “What’s going on?”

“Piiiika?” Pikachu also inquired uncertainly.

White came up from behind and saw him eyeing the crowd. A young boy exited the curtained booth with his pokemon after speaking to the lady inside and she realized what it was.

“Oh they’re here to see a Pokemon Sommelier!”

“Pokemon Sommelier?” Satoshi wracked his brain for a moment. Where has he heard that before?

“Yeah, Dent from the Striaton Gym is a really good one, remember?” White said, “I don’t know the details but being a Sommelier is a highly respected profession here in Unova. They have to take classes and pass tests to even become one.”

“So what do they do again?”

“Hmmm well people usually consult a Sommelier to either learn what kind of pokemon would match best so they can get along. This makes it much easier for people to choose someone to raise and live with. Other people want to know if the pokemon they caught will be compatible partners for training,” White explained. “I guess you can think of them as really good advisors and match-makers. The really talented ones have a good sense of determining pokemon personalities too.”

“Wow!” Satoshi exclaimed, “Then I want to try!”

“Pika!” Pikachu agreed excitedly.

“But you got yours evaluated by Dent didn’t you? He already said that you and Pikachu are perfectly compatible, and that your other pokemon also have great potential.”

“Then I want to try with these two,” Satoshi took out two pokeballs to show to White. “I think Scraggy and I have pretty similar personalities so that should be fine but Snivy and Sewaddle are still new so I want to see what kind of partners we will be.” 

White nodded, “Yeah, you should do that. I’ll go find my brother and see if he wants to do it too.”

She left Satoshi and Pikachu behind at the back of the line to scour around for Black and Bijou. She didn’t have to go very far.

“Hey so did you get everything you need- Oh!” White immediately noticed the flower crown on Bijou’s head and grinned mischievously. “Did you convince Black to buy that, Bijou?”

“Osha!” Bijou answered, proudly sticking her head up to show off the crown.

“Daisies, how fitting,” White commented with a side-glance at her brother. Black blushed slightly and muttered, “She chose it.”

“Well Satoshi is going to consult a Sommelier, do you want to come?” said White, remembering why she came to find him.

Black shrugged, “Sure.” He wasn’t particularly worried about what a Sommelier would say about his pokemon.

They walked back to the curtained booth and scanned the line, “That’s odd. He’s not here?” White asked.

“He’s not with the Sommelier either,” said Black, observing when the curtain pulled back and a girl walked out.

They walked around the area for a bit trying to spot their friend when they noticed another booth with the same curtains drawn up down at the end of the hall. They came closer and heard muffled voices but one of them sounded like Satoshi.

White drew the curtain over, “Oh there you are, Satoshi!”

The twins froze and took in the scene: All of Satoshi’s pokemon were out of their pokeballs and none of them looked very happy. Satoshi and Pikachu both looked unhappy as well.

“Hey, don’t interrupt us!” There was a girl wearing a red vest in the booth who also looked very agitated.

“Huh? What’s going on here?” White asked. She and Black both blinked in confusion at the palpable discontent in the air.

Satoshi pointed at the girl angrily, “She said that all of my pokemon are horrible and that I should replace them, even Pikachu!”

“What?” Black and White exclaimed at the same time.

“That can’t be right, you already had some of them evaluated,” Black said in shock and confusion.

Satoshi just shook his head in disbelief.

“Then they haven’t been properly evaluated by the great Pokemon Sommelier Carbenet!” The girl, Carbenet, proclaimed.

When the shock wore off, White opened her Xtransceiver and started pressing buttons on it furiously, “This doesn’t make sense, let me find something out.”

“Yeah! Your evaluation must be wrong,” Satoshi said accusingly.

“My evaluations are never wrong!” Cabernet retorted, “You’re just a trainer so what would you know about the sophisticated taste of a world class Sommelier?”

Satoshi’s face scrunched up in frustrated confusion, “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Of course you don’t,” Cabernet scoffed.

Black stepped forward to interrupt the argument and placed Bijou on one of the chairs, “Will you check my Oshawott then?” He asked the Sommelier politely.

“An Oshawott huh?” Cabernet examined at the little otter pokemon who stared back at her blankly. She sniffed the pokemon and then she saw the flower crown on her head.

She shook her head disdainfully, “What a vain pokemon. It seems arrogant and shallow.”

Bijou’s eyes widened and she turned red from embarrassment and anger. Enraged, she opened her mouth and a stream of blue energy shot out, but it wasn’t water; instead it froze Cabernet into a small ice block.

Black and Satoshi let out panicked yells.

“We gotta get her out of that!” Satoshi shouted, “Tepig, use Ember to melt the ice!”

Tepig eyed Cabernet with disdain before reluctantly letting loose a small stream of flames.

“Bijou!” Black snatched his pokemon off the seat, “That was uncalled for! You need to apologize to Cabernet right away!”

“Osha!” Bijou harrumphed. No way!

“I know she made you angry but you can’t go around using such a dangerous move on people,” Black scolded.

Bijou looked slightly ashamed and agreed.

“We’re so sorry,” Satoshi said frantically as Cabernet angrily wrung her shirt from the melted ice.

“Yes,” Black bowed, “Bijou and I are both sorry.” Bijou looked cross but didn’t say anything to contradict her trainer.

“You should be,” she snapped. “Your pokemon are just as bad as his!” She pointed at Satoshi. “You should replace your Oshawott too!”

Black shook his head furiously, “No way!”

“AHA!” There was a yell and everyone turned to White who had her Xtransceiver turned on and the Striaton Gym Leader Dent was a glowing hologram on the screen. “I knew there was something weird going on. Go on, tell them!”

“Right,” Dent cleared his throat. “I recognize her now, Cabernet came to the gym a while ago to challenge us and she lost.”

When they turned back to Cabernet to confirm, she was fuming.

“Dent you jerk!” She growled, “I swore that I would get revenge on you! Not just for the loss but for what you said about my pokemon! I vowed that I would become a better Sommelier than you!”

Dent appeared to be in thought, “What class are you, Cabernet?”

Upon hearing that question, Cabernet looked embarrassed, “Uh… I am C-class.”

“That’s strange, I recall that only A-class or higher are allowed to open shops,” said Dent. 

There was a pause as Satoshi, Black, and White, gaped in disbelief, before their shouts echoed the booth, “WHAT?!”

Cabernet crossed her arms, “What does it matter? These pokemon are so clearly unsuited for them!” She gestured to Bijou and Pikachu.

Neither pokemon looked happy at hearing that. Pikachu was emitting sparks and Bijou seemed ready to shoot water at her.

“No, you’re wrong,” said Dent through the Xtransceiver speakers and the ruckus died down.

“I think that Black has a perfect relationship with his pokemon. And the same for Satoshi; their pokemon each have unique tastes that bring out a variety of flavours. These two are perfectly suited for such a versatile group of pokemon.”

“Dent…” Satoshi said, feeling touched.

“It’s true, and I, as a Class A Sommelier, say that in full confidence of my evaluation,” said Dent proudly.

Cabernet was trembling with rage, “I can’t stand that Dent! Then fine!” She yelled, “Since your evaluation is the complete opposite of mine, why don’t we have a battle to prove who is right?”

“A battle? Then I-“ Satoshi was cut off by a burst of water from Bijou cutting past them.

“OSHA, OSHA SHAWOTT!” Bijou was waving her arms, looking angry and determined.

“Hmmm it looks like Oshawott wants to accept instead,” said Dent. White nodded from behind the screen as well and she looked to Black to gauge his expression. Her brother looked taken aback.

“Aha!” Cabernet point at Black, “Then we should have a battle!”

“W-what, but…” Black stammered. He looked down Bijou with uncertainty.

“You’re a trainer aren’t you? If you don’t battle with me and let me evaluate your pokemon again, that means I was right about it earlier!” Cabernet said triumphantly.

“Don’t be so arrogant,” White snapped so viciously that the Sommelier actually flinched.

“Come on Black,” Satoshi said encouragingly. “Bijou looks like she really wants this.”

“And as an A-Class Sommelier, there is no such thing as a wrong diagnosis!” Dent declared, throwing in his support.

Black thought for a moment. Despite his own misgivings about pokemon battles, this wasn’t something he should control if his own pokemon wanted to do it, and he should be considerate of Bijou’s feelings. He can’t force them to fight if they actually wanted to right?

He sighed and, to White and Satoshi’s shock and excitement, nodded his head.

“Alright, I accept.”

* * *

 

At the back of the building, there was a wide enough unmarked clearing for a pokemon battle. Cabernet and Black stood on opposite sides facing each other.

Satoshi and White stood at the side, with Dent’s hologram up so he can also observe the battle.

Cabernet thrust out her arm, “We’ll do a one-on-one battle and if I win, Dent has to admit I am better than him, and… you and Satoshi both have to replace all of your pokemon!”

“Wait, why am I in this?” Satoshi protested in dismay.

“You really want me to replace my pokemon that badly?” Black asked idly as he stared down at Bijou in his arms.

“The flavours of my pokemon are not that light you know! This will prove that I am the better Sommelier than that Dent,” Carbenet retorted.

Bijou took off her daisy crown and placed it crookedly on Black’s head to his amusement before jumping onto the ground and running forward, ready to start.

Black let out another sigh and instead of taking the crown off, he tugged it out of a knot in his hair and re-adjusted it. The small crown oddly suited him. He braced himself for the battle he was about to go into and squared his chin in defiance.

“I accepted so let’s do this.”

“My pokemon will prove to you that I am the better Sommelier,” Cabernet released a pokeball into the air. “Go, my vintage partner!”

When the light faded, a large pokemon with leafy green horns appeared and pawed at the ground.

“Oooh, a Sawsbuck!” White squealed, “I wonder how Black is going to react to that.”

“A Sawsbuck?” Satoshi couldn’t help but say in awe.

_Sawsbuck, the Season Pokemon, and the evolved for of Deerling. The plants on Sawsbuck’s horns change depending on the time of year, and people often use them to measure the passing of the seasons._

Black looked a bit dazed as he watched the Sawsbuck, and then he looked at Bijou and they exchanged amused glances with each other, “Well this is an interesting turn of events.”

“You won’t beat me with just your little Oshawott! A marriage between a water type and a grass type is terrible and will result in your loss,” Carbenet declared.

Black didn’t respond to her taunt, which infuriated his opponent and she made the first move.

“Sawsbuck, use Horn Leech!”

As his opponent began charging right at them, Black said calmly, “Dodge it,” and Bijou evaded with ease to the side.

Cabernet gritted her teeth and called for Megahorn, which Bijou jumped to the other side and dodged that move too.

“I hope Black isn’t still worried about battling,” said White from the sideline.

“But… I still don’t understand, why is he worried?” Satoshi wondered. This was something he's been wanting to voice for a long time but out of respect for Black's wishes, never really brought it up.

White levelled a considering look at Satoshi. She appeared to be weighing her thoughts before saying, “He’s been really conflicted about having his pokemon fight. I thought maybe with Bijou showing how much she’s wanted to battle, it might convince him to try again. He keeps worrying about how much pain his pokemon go through in battle.”

Satoshi pondered that for a moment, “Yeah I can see what he means. I never like seeing Pokemon being injured or hurt either, but isn’t that the point of battling? To make our pokemon stronger so it won’t hurt as much? And when I see them happy to win, it makes everything feel so much better.”

White gave a small smile at that, “I think he knows, but there’s a fear holding him back, but he needs to try and overcome it himself. He needs to find a reason to start fighting again.”

Satoshi blinked before remembering the Hydreigon.

“Well, this is a good chance to try and snap him out of it,” White continued as she watched Bijou jump around the field, avoiding the Sawsbucks’ charging, and she commented, “For Bijou’s first battle, she’s doing pretty well.”

Satoshi whipped around and stared at her incredulously, “Her FIRST battle?”

“Pi-pikachu?” Pikachu questioned.

Even Dent, who had stayed quiet to listen to the conversation, blinked in shock, “Huh?!” Maybe he should’ve reconsidered his previous statements that he said in complete confidence. Now the stakes were even higher than they had first thought.

Back on the field, Black could see that Bijou wasn’t happy when she shot him an exasperated look so when after she pulled to the side to avoid another charge, they both stopped and waited to see what Cabernet would do next.

“Argh, would you stop moving around?” Cabernet yelled in frustration and gave her next command. “Jump Kick, let’s go!”

“Wait for a moment, Bijou,” said Black and they both watched as Sawsbuck jumped into the air and kicked out its legs.

“Now, use Dig!” Black called.

Bijou immediately burrowed into the ground, causing the attack to miss and the Sawsbuck crashed into the ground instead.

“Dig?!” Cabernet cried in shock. She checked on her Sawsbuck who was struggling to get up from the recoil damage in the crash.

“Nice timing!” White exclaimed.

“Sawsbuck, watch the ground!” Cabernet called out. The Sawsbuck tensed up and looked around to try and spot where Bijou was going to come up.

After a few seconds, Bijou surged up from the earth right in front of it and knocked into Sawsbuck’s neck, surprising the large pokemon for a second and she flipped and landed on its back.

Cabernet gasped, “Oh no, shake her off!”

“Bijou, quick, jump up!” Black called, and with Bijou in the air, he followed it up with Water Gun. The Oshawott let out a stream of water that hit the Sawsbuck dead on and pushed them both back in opposite directions and she landed back on the other side of the clearing.

“Nice one!” Satoshi, Dent, and White cheered together.

“Huh, not bad,” Cabernet admitted as her Sawsbuck got back up after taking damage from the water attack.

She ordered her Sawsbuck to use Megahorn next and when the Sawsbuck charged close, Black said, “Dodge it Bijou, and counter with Tackle!”

Bijou swung to the left side and then tackled the Sawsbuck, the Sawsbuck reared from the attack but stay on its feet.

“Now use Dig and get some distance!” Black called, and Bijou disappeared underground once again.

“When your Sawsbuck charges in its attacks, it moves in a single line,” Black said to Cabernet who looked taken aback by his address. “And it becomes easy to dodge when you know there’s only one direction.”

The Sommelier did not look happy, “I don’t need to be lectured by you!” She sneered and when Bijou popped back up, she ordered Jump Kick.

The Sawsbuck made a great leap to close the gap and began looming over Bijou.

“Now is our chance,” Black said. There was a grin of triumph spreading across his face and he said, “And... use Ice Beam!”

“ICE BEAM?!” Everyone yelled in surprise, causing Black to flinch in surprise by the yells. The brunet looked at all them in confusion and reminded them, “That’s the move she used earlier.”

“But Ice Beam is such an unusual move for an Oshawott to learn!” Dent exclaimed from the Xtransceiver.

Bijou released her icy cold beam of energy that formed a layer of ice around Sawsbuck mid-air.

“Oh no,” Cabernet cried, realizing what was going to happen next as Sawsbuck’s momentum was stopped and started to fall rapidly. It fell to the ground with a heavy crash, and after the dust settled, the Sawsbuck did not get back up.

Once they saw that, Satoshi and White cheered, “You did it!” They shouted together.

“Pika pika!” Pikachu also shouted. Congratulations!

“What a beautiful young season!” Dent gushed, “A burst of chilly flavours with all the expectation and tension hanging in the air before that final drop. Just what I would expect from a well-matched team!”

Satoshi and Pikachu ran onto the field to congratulate their friend, “Wow Black, you’re an amazing battler!”

Black rubbed his head sheepishly, “Thanks Satoshi. I’m glad it worked out.” He bent over and placed the daisy crown back on Bijou’s head and she giggled.

“Shawott!” Bijou said, puffing herself up, looking pleased. Her flower shaped crown made the gesture all the more regal and Pikachu poked at the metal crown in admiration.

Black then remembered Sawsbuck and ran over in concern, “Is your Sawsbuck okay?” He asked gently. The pokemon had awoken and was able to stand up.

“Y-yeah, thanks,” Cabernet said, looking contrite. She turned to her partner, “And thank you for your hard work, Sawsbuck.” She returned the pokemon back into its ball.

White walked over with Dent on the line to give his comments.

“Do you understand now, Cabernet?” Dent said, “Pokemon are very profound creatures with lots of hidden layers and personality. That’s why if you’re going to do tasting as a Sommelier, just going by the manual won’t work.”

“So that’s why Black’s type disadvantage still worked against Sawsbuck,” Cabernet realized.

“Yes,” said Dent, “Sommeliers don’t just reject pokemon as partners, they have to find out about their personality, abilities, and everything that makes them an individual to find their best potential.”

“But Cabernet,” Dent continued, “I could sense an earthly and powerful potential in your battling. You still have a ways to go though.”

“Argh,” Cabernet huffed, “You’re still really annoying!”

White turned to Satoshi and Black with a sly smile, “Well at least this means you don’t have to replace your pokemon then!”

“Aha, yeah you’re right,” Satoshi and Black both exchanged relieved grins.

“And thanks a lot, Dent,” White said, “I think it’s time we get going.”

“Call me any time you need help, White. It was amazing to witness such a battle from you, Black,” said Dent. Black looked away, embarrassed.

“And Cabernet? You have a lot of hidden potential, though your talent still needs work before it can show itself, but I hope you’ll continue to spend time letting it ripen…”

“Listen up,” Cabernet got up close and shouted at the Xtransceiver, “I’ll become an S-class Sommelier and then defeat you in a battle!” White winced before giving Dent an apologetic wave before closing the call.

“And you!” Cabernet pointed to Black who blinked at being addressed.

“You may have won this time, but I’m going to be a world class Sommelier who can evaluate any pokemon and next time I’ll show you who has the better pokemon.”

Bijou jumped up from Black’s arms and crossed her arms, “Osha!” Bring it!

“Oh boy,” Black muttered. To Cabernet, he said kindly, “I look forward to it.”

Cabernet looked flustered by his response before, in a fit of exploding exasperation, “I’ll take my revenge no matter what! Hmph!” And she shot off down the road.

Satoshi, Black, and White all amused exchanged looks with each other.

“What motivation,” White commented. “I’m glad I’m not traveling with her.”

Satoshi turned to Black, “The way you battled was so cool! Can we have practice battles now? I bet I can learn so much from you!’

Black was quiet for a moment as he thought back to the battle and how it felt.

“Little bro,” White started say something, anything encouraging, but nothing was coming to her mind. They just had to wait how what Black thought about during his first battle with Bijou and whether he would continue to do so in the future.

Black had listened to Bijou when she wanted to battle Carbenet. He remembered her dream to become strong enough to fight bigger enemies. Even his other pokemon were eager and willing to battle as Molly had helped fight off Team Rocket, and even learned Thunderbolt as a way of getting stronger. And Shiro; Shiro was always happy to go along with them.

He remembered the Hydreigon, and he remembered that, despite the painful memories, it was definitely the wrong way to raise pokemon. They weren’t just tools to beat others into submission, but if pokemon were hurting people, then it’s the trainer’s fault.

Pokemon battles weren’t just about getting stronger, it was also for pokemon and trainer to both become better. Satoshi and White are both trainers who want to do things the right way, to help each other out, to learn more. Dent was also working hard as a gym leader to teach trainers the right way to raise their pokemon.

Oh.

Black remembered what he used to believe in: that trainers and pokemon help raise each other, and battling is just another facet of strengthening their bonds and giving each other support. Even if a pokemon fails and sustains injuries, it still won’t stop them from getting again if their trainer believes in them, like Satoshi’s Tepig.

He had taken the pain too much to heart and had forgotten that if there was serious injury, then the trainer was to blame for being irresponsible. With true love and care, Pokemon and their trainers can still battle to their heart’s content without serious harm, without experiencing true pain.

So when the trainer and pokemon fought together, battles should be enjoyable to both sides.

“It was… We had a good time,” Black said slowly, and Bijou nodded eagerly.

“It was wasn’t it?” Satoshi responded with an excited light in his eyes and an enthusiastic smile, “Pokemon battles are a lot of fun!”

To his companions’ delight, Black nodded and smiled back, “Yeah, you’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Notes:  
> \- This will be the last time I go into more details about Unova’s Sommeliers. I’ve always liked the idea of the Sommelier (Connoisseur for the English Dub) but I’ve always been a bit perplexed by how it’s used in battle when it doesn’t seem to be meant for that. I mean, seeing those bonds work during battle is basically everyone’s –especially the gym leaders’- job but not everyone is a battler so I assume that’s what Sommeliers operate on.  
> \- Anyways, Cabernet/Burgundy is a reoccurring character for later but the Sommelier mechanic will only be a side effect now instead of being in any spotlight since Dent in the anime did an excellent job with it already.  
> \- Black’s Oshawott is revealed to know Dig, Ice Beam, Water Gun, and Tackle.
> 
> **Before you start yelling at me about the TM skills, let me preface that by saying there is a big reason this is able to happen, and I will not say why until the time is right. In the meantime, you’re welcome to speculate, and you may even be right!
> 
> Next week is Thanksgiving, so I will be skipping next week's update!


	18. Return of the Sandile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: In which some uninvited guests interrupt Satoshi’s training while Pikachu learns a new move!
> 
>  
> 
> *Preface note: I’d like to clarify that just because White seems to play Iris’s role in this chapter and Black with Dent (and there are many similarities for them in previous chapters like Black doing the cooking), they are NOT the same people. I reiterate, the role may sometimes overlap, but they are completely separate people who would do things differently.
> 
> ((Also, I have realized during my research of this chapter that Bijou knowing Dig is similar to Dent’s Pansage knowing it in the anime. I had not planned for that at all so it is purely a coincidence.))

_“To save pokemon from true pain and suffering, I have to show people the right way to battle.”_

Deep in a mountainous region far far away, a large figure shifted from its perch.

There seemed to be a change in the air and it shifted.

A loud roar was heard, scattering a few surprised winged pokemon through the trees. The figure shifted again before settling back down.

_"I’m so proud of you, child.”_

It was quiet once again.

 

* * *

 

“Are you ready Black?”

“Ready when you are.”

“Okay Scraggy, use Headbutt!”

“Shiro, dodge it!”

On the long winding road to their next city, Satoshi, Black, and White, decided to take a break to have a meal and to train in a nice grassy clearing.

White was peering down the road as she set up their usual camping gear, trying to gauge how far they have left to travel for the day. Satoshi had asked Black to have a simple practice match for his Scraggy and Black, to everyone’s surprise, had agreed. At the side of the small clearing they were using for the match, Pikachu, Kuro, and Bijou, cheered their friends on.

Shiro managed to swerve and evade Scraggy’s charge. Black decided to counter with Headbutt as well.

“Dodge it!” Satoshi commanded.

Scraggy tried to move out of the way and was only partly successful. Part of his body brushed against the Deino's head and the momentum cause both pokemon to tumble away.

“Are you okay, Scraggy?” Satoshi asked in concern. The little lizard immediately got up and nodded, looking determined to continue.

“Alright then, use Leer!”

Scraggy immediately scrunched up his face and tried to look menacing as he stared Shiro down. The battlefield paused as everyone waited to see what Shiro was going to do.

Black looked sheepish when nothing happened, “I don’t think Shiro even knows what to do…”

Shiro did indeed seem to be looking around in confusion, despite Scraggy’s best efforts.

Satoshi scratched his head, “I guess we still need to work on that.”

Readying for his next move, the corners of Black’s mouth curled into a playful grin, “Well then, how about we try this? Dark Pulse!”

Satoshi gasped as the dark ball of energy gathered up in Shiro’s mouth and the little dragon released it. “Scraggy!” He cried, hoping that it wouldn’t be too difficult for the young pokemon to face. 

Black knew that despite the strong move, Shiro wouldn’t be able to unleash a really powerful Dark Pulse just yet, so Satoshi’s Scraggy should be okay…. Should be.

When the dust cleared, they saw Scraggy standing still, holding his stretchy ‘pants’ up high before releasing it and it flopped down.

“Amazing,” Black said, staring at Scraggy in awe. “He defended against Dark Pulse?”

“Wow Scraggy, that was great!” Satoshi said and Pikachu joined him as they cheered up and down together. Scraggy didn’t look entirely unfazed by the attack but he seemed mostly fine. “Scrag,” the little pokemon said happily, hesitantly dancing along with them.

“I think we can stop here,” said Black, which put a halt to Satoshi and Pikachu’s happy dance.

“Awww,” Satoshi said, “But it was getting really good!”

Black agreed, “That was good practice, but I think White is impatient for lunch now.”

On cue, Satoshi and White’s stomachs started to growl and they both looked embarrassed. The pokemon laughed along with Black at the reaction.

“Well, I set the kitchenette up and the pokemon food is almost ready too,” said White, perking up. Her brother joined her at the tables and he released his Emonga to join the rest of the pokemon.

“I should bring everyone else out to eat,” Satoshi thought out loud and took out his pokeballs. Before he could release them, they flew out of his hands as the ground gave way under him.

“PIKAAAAA,” Pikachu screamed in shock as he and his trainer fell right through the ground.

Black and White looked over upon hearing their yells. There was a giant ball where Satoshi and Pikachu were standing and four pokeballs were scattered on the ground. The twins ran over to see what had happened.

“Where did this hole come from?” Black peered down into the darkness. It was very deep.

“Satoshi!” White called down, “Can you hear me?”

All they could hear from the echoes were sliding sounds and yelling. Suddenly, the hole closed in on itself, leaving the twins shocked. The hole must be unnatural.

“Osha!” From behind them, Bijou was shouting and they whipped around to find her pointing in alarm at one of their cooking pots being dragged away by something underneath it.

“THIEF!” White reacted indignantly, “Get back here!” She scrambled after the moving pot. Kuro, Scraggy, and Shiro, followed after her, giving chase. 

Now with both his companions gone, Black turned to Molly and Bijou, “I think she can handle the thief. We should go after Satoshi and make sure he’s alright.”

The both of them nodded and Bjiou began to dig a hole that would be big enough for her trainer to follow. Molly leapt to Black’s shoulders and he slid down into the hole, following behind Bijou’s diligent digging at an even pace.

Suddenly, the ground broke apart rather easily beneath their feet and they tumbled the rest of the way down, finding themselves in a tunnel.

Black looked around and noted the evenly made walls, “This must be the tunnel Satoshi and Pikachu went through.” He commented. “It’s so large.”

“Emon!” Molly agreed from her perch on his shoulder.

The rest of the trip through the tunnel altered between sliding and regaining their foot as Black and Bijou navigated their way downward and it wasn’t long before they saw the light streaming through the exit and when they reached it, it ended right off a cliff.

“I hope Satoshi is okay, he might of fell off,” Black said as he took a spare piece of rope out of his pack so they can climb down.

They spotted White with the other pokemon not too far off, “Hey sis!” He called out.

White whipped around and spotted them, “I lost the thief!” She complained, “But it looks like they came this way. Maybe Satoshi found them.”

“He might have,” said Black in agreement as he jumped off the rope with Molly flying off his shoulder to glide over to the other pokemon. He turned around and caught Bijou as she jumped off the rope.

“Satoshi and Pikachu seemed to have gone this way. Let’s find them.”

They marched off in the direction that the tunnel had lead them to and kept an eye out for their lost friend.

As they walked along the trees, White swept over their surroundings and then to her brother. She said to him, “You seem different, little brother.”

Black looked at her in confusion, “What do you mean?”

“Ever since the battle with Cabernet, you seem more, I dunno, animated?” said White. “You even accepted to have a practice battle with Satoshi when you usually refuse. The last time you even did that was back at the lab.”

Black seemed concerned, “I was trying to be… I thought I could try to be more involved. Is something wrong with that?”

“No no!” White waved her hands to frantically deny it. “It’s such a good thing! You don’t know how relieved I am to see it, but did that battle with Cabernet really change so much?”

Black thought for a moment before shaking his head, “It wasn’t so much the battle itself but I sort of had a realization after it.”

Now White was curious. If this was the kind of push her brother needed, then at least it wasn’t simply a case of forcing him into a pokemon battle because the she would have done that a long time ago. There must be other things at play here, and knowing her brother’s often complicated thoughts, it must be important.

“I didn’t want to battle because I didn’t want to cause pokemon any more pain,” Black continued, drawing White and their pokemon, even Scraggy, to listen intently. “But it is also impossible to protect them all the time. I knew that, but I was still… I guess scared to do more than caring for them.”

Black looked down at the pokemon with a small smile, “Satoshi showed me how he wanted to battle while still considering the pokemon’s feelings, and then I thought about what you guys felt. Bijou wanted to battle, Molly wanted to learn better attacks, and Shiro was so supportive of everything. They all want to grow stronger and I wasn’t listening to that because of my fears.”

“So I realized that trying to avoid pain can still cause other kinds of pain and the only way to overcome that is to become stronger. I want to battle in a way that I can balance their feelings and overcome my fears as well.”

White stopped walking, nearly causing Shiro to bump into her and everyone else stopped around her.

She was stunned by her brother’s revelation. She was so proud. She even surprised herself by how overcome by emotion she was, “I’m so… happy for you!” She cried, reaching over to hug Black, taking him by surprise.

“Ah,” Black struggled in his sister’s strong grip, flailing a little to their pokemon’s amusement. “Can you let go? That hurts!”

“Oh, sorry,” White let go but was still smiling broadly, and Black couldn’t help but return the smile.

They continued walking and looking for Satoshi and the bubbly happiness she was feeling for Black from earlier faded a little. She tried to remind herself that this was the best news she could hope for when she pushed for the two of them to come on this journey, but it was also a reminder that while her brother may have found a new dream to work on, she has yet do anything about her own.

She has some ideas bouncing around her head, but in the rush of all the things that have happened so far, she hasn’t found a chance to talk to him about them yet.

Now with Black looking and acting like his usual self, White thought maybe it was time.

She opened her mouth, “Hey, little brot-“

“PIKACHU, TRY THUNDERBOLT AGAIN!” They heard the sounds of scuffling and then Satoshi’s yelling.

The twins ran over just in time to see Pikachu charging up to release his signature attack and instead, the electric energy surged and gathered around his tail.

“Pika pika pikachu,” Pikachu instinctively released the ball of electrical energy into his opponent, a trio of Duckletts, scattering them into the air.

“What was that?” Satoshi wondered out loud, staring at the new attack his partner just created.

“That was Electroball,” Black answered, and the two of them joined their friend and surveyed the chaos that was happening. Satoshi looked a bit ruffled and he was missing his hat. Next to him, curiously enough, was a Sandile, also looking a bit beat up.

“Electroball?” Satoshi echoed.

“It looks like he learned a new move!” White exclaimed.

"Wow! Great job Pikachu!” Satoshi gushed.

Black noticed the items lying on the floor a little bit further away and recognized them as their missing stuff: their cooking pot, Satoshi’s cap, and a pair of red sunglasses.

Suddenly the trio of Duckletts that Pikachu sent flying earlier descended on them, shooting a powerful stream of hot water in every direction.

Black and White reacted by jumping out of the way while Satoshi and Pikachu scrambled to dodge another beam of energy. The third shot of water landed in the middle of Bijou, Shiro, and Scraggy, causing the three of them to scatter.

“So those are the thieves,” White spun back and growled menacingly, “A gang of Duckletts!”

“Yeah, give back our stuff!” Satoshi demanded. The Duckletts eyed them noncommittally before mocking and laughing at them, incensing them even more.

“What a strange group of characters,” Black said dazedly. It was sort of admirable even.

“Pikachu, are you ready to go?” Satoshi asked his partner.

Pikachu emitted sparks from his cheeks in defiance and anger and he nodded back emphatically.

“Okay, use Thunderbolt!”

This time, the powerful blast sent the trio of Duckletts flying into the far-off distance, allowing them to recover their items.

Scraggy ran forward and then adorably gave Satoshi back his hat while the Sandile was given the sunglasses by Pikachu.

“Oh yeah, here’s the pokeballs you dropped,” White handed back the rest of Satoshi’s items. “But with Pikachu here, you probably didn’t need anyone else.”

“Uh… yeah,” Satoshi sounded a little nervous by that statement, which confused her for a moment. White shrugged, deciding it wasn’t important. She crouched down to observe the Sandile, “So where did this little one come from?”

“He kind of looks familiar,” Black added after he lifted the cooking pot from Bijou and Molly’s little hands.

“Yeah, this Sandile was the one who dug those tunnels earlier,” said Satoshi. “And it has been following us because it wants to battle Pikachu!”

White blinked, trying to comprehend that incredulous statement, “Really?”

“Dile!” The Sandile said, nodding in confirmation.

“The Sandile might be considering Pikachu as a worthy rival,” Black suggested. “But let’s go get them checked at the pokecenter first.”

* * *

Nurse Joy rolled out her cart with everyone’s pokeballs and Pikachu and Sandile. “Your pokemon are in good health,” she announced brightly.

“Thanks Nurse Joy!” Satoshi chirped, and then asked the Sandile, “Shall we continue the battle?”

Sandile enthusiastically agreed.

As they watched Satoshi and Pikachu battle it out with the sunglass-wearing Sandile in the clearing outside, Black nudged his sister. “What were you trying to say earlier?”

White considered for a second. She wanted to tell him about her thoughts and dreams, but she decided that this was a conversation for another time.

“Maybe I’ll tell you later,” she said with a hidden smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Off screen, that Sandile evolves into Krokorok in the middle of the last battle with Pikachu  
> \- Pikachu learns Electro Ball to replace Volt Tackle (which, unpopular opinion alert, I think it’s the better choice, Electro Ball is way more flexible, Pikachu is often anime-only faster and swifter than the other pokemon, and it doesn’t do recoil damage!)
> 
> \- Anyways, thanks for reading!


	19. Bridging the Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gothitelle tries to regain her past, Black wants to renew his future, but in the midst of all the soul-searching, White seems to have lost herself.

The three traveling companions returned to the pokemon center they were staying at for an extended break during their progress towards Castelia City.

Satoshi collected his pokeballs from Nurse Joy and then found the twins at the back area behind the center where Black looked like he was setting something up. Intrigued, Satoshi approached them, joining White who was observing from the side.

“Do you three want to play a game?” Black asked Bijou, Molly, and Shiro, and they all looked at him interested and eager.

“Okay, then, Shiro, you will be on this side, and you two go over to the other side.”

“What is Black doing?” Satoshi asked.

“I’m not sure,” White replied, “It looks like he’s trying a new training method, errr game.”

On the field, Black told Bijou to go first up against Shiro. “Alright, here is how this will work: Shiro, you will use Dark Pulse three times and try to hit Bijou. Bijou, you have to try to dodge it. Each successful dodge gets you one point and each hit gives Shiro the point. After three tries, it’s Molly’s turn. Do you two understand?”

Bijou and Shiro both nodded, looking excited and determined to play.

“Shiro, is three okay or do you want to try five?”

The Deino made enthusiastic noises and Black understood, “You want to try five? Okay then, let’s go for five points. Ready, Bijou?”

Bijou nodded.

“Okay, go!”

Shiro fired off his Dark Pulse orbs one at a time, and Bijou made leaps and lunges to avoid them. On the fourth one, she wasn’t fast enough to dodge and the hit left her open for the fifth one to also hit.

“Oh that was so close!” Black called encouragingly, “Sorry Shiro, she got three points and you got two this round. Molly, you’re next!”

Molly was a lot faster than Bijou as she swooped up and down with her flying capabilities. Then Shiro got frustrated enough that he was able to fire several Dark Pulses in multiple succession, surprising everyone, including his trainer.

“Good job Shiro! You were able to attack so quickly!” Black praised, “And Molly, you were using Double Team you little trickster!”

Sure enough, there were several Emonga copies in the air before they vanished and Molly glided by, laughing in midair.

“That’s okay, you’ll get her next time,” Black said, patting the Deino gently.

“Wow, that looks fun,” Satoshi piped up, running up to join them. “Did you do this as a training exercise?” 

Black nodded, “I was inspired by watching you and Tepig train at the Battle Club. I figured I could make it a fun game while improving everyone’s evasion and accuracy.”

“I think Pikachu would like to try, right?” Satoshi looked to his partner and Pikachu nodded enthusiastically.

“Sure, it would be good practice for Shiro.”

“Hey White! Do you want to join too?” Satoshi called back to their other companion. She didn’t appear to hear him.

“White! White?”

“Huh? Oh, sure,” White snapped out of her thoughts and ran to join them, calling out her Purrloin to participate in the game.

After White and Satoshi’s partners both had a turn and Shiro was tired from his efforts, they all lay down on the grass to rest.

Satoshi stared at the clouds and commented, “Man, Unova sure is big. Are we almost at Castelia City yet?”

“We have to cross a bridge to get there,” Black replied.

“Bridge? What bridge?”

White pointed through the treetops, “That bridge, silly.”

Satoshi and Pikachu sat up immediately and stared. Through the trees, the top of twin beams could be seen, looming in and out as though it came out of a fog. They gaped at the size of the bridge that, even from far away, look massive. Why didn’t they notice it earlier?

“That’s the bridge?!”

Black grinned, “Yup, that’s Skyarrow Bridge.”

 

* * *

 

Satoshi ran excitedly through the trees and to the riverside to get a better view of Skyarrow Bridge.

“Wow, it’s so huge!” Satoshi said.

“Piiiikachu!” Pikachu agreed from his shoulder perch, also in awe.

White and Black ran up from behind him, feeling the effects of déjà vu.

“That bridge isn’t going anywhere, there’s no need to run,” White huffed, looking slightly annoyed but not winded. All this running around with Satoshi was good for building stamina apparently.

“Sorry, I got excited,” Satoshi said sheepishly.

Black walked up to the walkway edge and Bijou jumped down to balance on the rails. Across the river, they could see the silhouettes of high rise building that populated the horizon line. The sun shone over the water and created sparkles on the surface. It was a breathtaking sight, with the smell of the sea breeze wafting over them and the gentle sounds of water flowing.

“This place is more peaceful than I thought it could be,” said Black, catching his companions’ attention, and they stopped talking to also take in the sights.

“Yeah,” Satoshi agreed as he breathed in the salty air, “This place is really nice.”

“The bridge makes the river really stand out and Castelia City looks far away,” White added.

They resumed walking down the path that wound around to the bridge when they reached the only building in the area: a pokemart.

Black stopped in front of the store, “I know Castelia will probably have a bigger selection but let’s look in here for some basic supplies.”

“Oh right! I wanted to call Professor Juniper too,” said Satoshi.

“Sure, let’s check it out,” said White, and they headed through the automatic sliding doors.

Satoshi headed straight to one of the phone stations nearby to call the Professor while the twins wandered through the shelves of items. Black picked up a few ingredients for pokefood in case he didn’t have time to do so in the city.

The both of them were in the back of the store when Satoshi joined them again and they walked down the last aisle where a woman wearing an orange day dress stood staring at the walls of the store. Out of curiousity, they looked at what the woman was viewing and saw a bunch of framed photos hanging on the wall.

The photos showed Skyarrow Bridge in the background and then close-ups of a boat. The woman was staring at the boat so Satoshi asked her, “What is that?”

“That’s a water taxi,” the woman answered him before walking away.

“Water taxi?” Satoshi echoed.

“Hmmm… I didn’t see boats around,” said White. She looked to Black and he also shook his head in the negative.

“Maybe it doesn’t run anymore,” said Black with a shrug. They went back to the front of the store and walked through the doors, but… something seemed different.

White stared in disbelief as they walked up to the rails by the river and peered out into distance. Both Castelia City and the Skyarrow Bridge were distorted in the fog, “Okay, the fog rolled in really quick.”

They heard the roar of a motorbike from behind and turned around to see Officer Junsa pulling up to them. “Be careful in this fog,” she said, “We aren’t allowing vehicles on the bridge at this time.”

Just then, a truck rolled by heading for the bridge and Officer Junsa yelled, “Hey! You aren’t allowed to pass through!” She started up the bike again and chased after the truck.

“Thanks Officer!” White shouted back with a wave.

“So what should we do now?” Black asked.

“They’re not closing the bridge to people right?” said Satoshi, “We need to get to Castelia so let’s go.” He marched on ahead, and Black and White followed warily. Soon they reached the base of the bridge.

The fog appeared to be even thicker on the bridge and they could not see anything beyond the side rails.

“This is really eerie,” Black commented as they walked.

“Yeah, now that there are no cars around, it’s also really quiet,” said White, squinting at the structure.

They reached the first cable tower that supported the bridge deck and Satoshi was about to say that it was a good idea they crossed when a burst of purple energy shot down in front of them, causing them to jump back in surprise.

“Who did that?” Satoshi yelped. They looked up to see something black floating above the bridge tower.

“Gothi!” The pokemon growled ominously.

“A Gothitelle?!” White exclaimed in recognition, “That’s a powerful psychic pokemon!”

Satoshi immediately whipped out his pokedex to scan the new pokemon: _Gothitelle, the Astral Body Pokemon. Gothitelle’s Psychic power is so great that it is said to warp space around it, and distort reality in the process._

“Why is a Gothitelle here?” Black wondered.

The Gothitelle floated to bridge level and fixed them a piercing stare. It raised a palm at them, telling them not to come any further.

“I think it wants to stop us from crossing the bridge,” said White, perplexed, “But why? I don’t think there’s a problem with the bridge, it’s just fog.”

“I’m not stopping,” said Satoshi. “I have to get to the next city for my next gym badge!”

Gothitelle clearly didn’t like that answer and unleashed another purple beam that they all had to duck to avoid.

“Alright then, we’ll battle with you!” Satoshi said determinedly and threw his own pokeball and Snivy appeared.

“Snivy, use Leaf Blade!”

Snivy’s tail turned green and she flipped forward with her tail, hitting a barrier that Gothitelle put up and bounced off.

The Gothitelle shot out another beam of purple energy, and this time White pulled out her pokeball, “Kuro, get in front of that attack!”

Kuro appeared and landed in front of Snivy, taking the blast.

“What are you doing?” Satoshi asked her in shock.

“Don’t worry, Kuro’s a Dark type,” said White. “Psychic moves won’t affect her.”

“Oh right, I forgot about that,” said Satoshi and he turned back to the battle after the attack stopped and the Purrloin looked completely unaffected by the blast.

“Snivy, use Leaf Storm!”

“Sniiiii-vyyy!” Snivy released a whirlwind of leaves at the Gothitelle and the pokemon fire back with another psychic beam. The two attacks collided, creating an explosion that blinded them all.

But instead of dimming, the light intensified even more to everyone’s confusion and then suddenly the ground gave away underneath and they were falling.

“Whoa!” They landed with a thud on the grass.

Black got up first, “Is everyone okay?”

White grimaced, “Yeah I’m fine.”

Kuro let out an affirmative sound, already standing upright, while Bijou, Pikachu, and Snivy crawled up from where they had sprawled on the floor. Satoshi decided to return Snivy back to her ball but White left her partner out with them.

Satoshi sat up and stared at their surroundings, “What just happened?”

Black pointed forward, “I think a better question is: Where are we?”

In front of them was a familiar bridge. Skyarrow Bridge stood over the river, but this time it looked even more different.

White saw the middle part of the bridge, “It’s broken?” She wondered.

“More like it’s under construction,” Black replied, contemplatively. “We seemed to have gone back in time.”

“What!” Satoshi exclaimed, “How?!”

“Remember what the pokedex said? Gothitelle has the power to distort reality.”

“So we’re in the past?” White asked in shock, “I’ve never seen that happen before!”

“Hi there trainers!” A voice called and they turned to see down the banks was a small pier and a girl was waving at them.

“Hey, there’s a boat there,” said White, “Let’s go check it out.” They walked down to the pier where a boat was moored to it.

The little girl who was waving at them said, “Are you here to cross the river? My name is Sally! My grandpa runs the water taxi here. Here’s a ticket for you to use!” She handed Satoshi a slip of paper.

“Water taxi?” Satoshi asked, staring at the slip in confusion.

“Like that lady said before, back at the pokemart,” White breathed out in realization.

They followed Sally to where the water taxi was docked and she introduced them to her pokemon friend, Gothitelle.

All three of them stared in shock, recognizing the same Gothitelle who attacked them earlier looking really happy to help run the water taxi.

Black was suspicious now and was now trying to decipher what was going on. They agreed to board the boat in order to find out more about the situation they were dropped in.

There were a few other passengers on the water taxi, enjoying the snack service and chatting with the captain.

“So, my dear book-loving brother, what are your thoughts?” White asked as the three of them sat down on one of the benches Kuro jumped into her lap and she petted the little feline to calm them both down.

Black looked to the back of the boat where Sally and Gothitelle had gone to after passing out snacks to the guests. They were sitting together and eating their own food with giant smiles on their face.

“Captain,” one of the other passengers, an elderly woman spoke up, “I heard that the Water Taxi is about to close soon, is that true?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” said the Captain. “When the bridge is completed, the Water Taxi will be going out of service.”

“Aww,” said Sally, looking sad. Gothitelle's face fell.

Black turned back to his friends and said, “I have a feeling that we’re looking at Gothitelle’s memories. There’s something important about them but I’m not sure which one it is. We need to pay attention to what happens next.”

“Look!” Satoshi pointed to the foggy shore, “We’re almost on the other side!”

They disembarked the boat and then noticed something strange: they were back on the same side of the river!

“Whoa, we’re back?” Satoshi exclaimed.

They turned around and sure enough, the scenery was identical to the one they left behind.

“Are we stuck in a loop then?” White asked in alarm, “What do we do now?”

“We have to find out what Gothitelle is trying to tell us,” said Black. They turned their attention to watch Sally and Gothitelle at the pier stocking up on snacks for the next journey.

“Let’s go find out more then,” said Satoshi, running down the bank to them.

“Oh hi there, are you here to ride the water taxi? My name is Sally and we run the water taxi,” Sally asked.

“Hi, my name is Satoshi and this is my partner, Pikachu,” said Satoshi, politely introducing themselves.

“Pika!”

White was about to speak up next when her brother interjected, “I’m Black and this is my partner, Bijou,” said Black, patting the little otter in his arms who waved in greeting, “Is Gothitelle your pokemon?”

“No, Gothitelle is my friend,” said Sally. “We became friends while my grandpa runs the water taxis! Best friends right Gothitelle?” She hugged the psychic pokemon.

“Gothi!” Gothitelle said happily.

“Sally! Come help with the loading,” The captain called.

“Coming!” Sally called, and she turned back to them and asked, “Are you riding with us?”

“Uh, not right now,” White answered with a sheepish smile.

“Okay then,” Sally nodded amicably and she headed off with Gothitelle in tow. Not long after, they watched the water taxi sail off into the fog again.

“So,” White said as they returned back to the banks to get a better view of the river, “That Gothitelle is really happy to be working on the taxi with Sally.”

Black and Satoshi both nodded in agreement.

“I think Gothitelle misses the time when the water taxi was still running,” said Black. “I think she actually misses Sally and not the water tax but since they go together in her mind… well, she wants to back to this time period.”

“…Because this is the time period where she still has everything she wanted,” White finished, a stricken look on her face. She looked a bit upset by the realization and Kuro sensed it. The cat pokemon looked up at her trainer in concern.

Pikachu tilted his head in confusion as well, “Pi?”

“So… how do we get out of here?” Satoshi voiced worriedly.

Below them, the water taxi was finishing for the day and both the Captain and Sally were waving goodbye to Gothitelle. The Gothitelle began walking away into the fog.

Black sprung to his feet, clutching Bijou tightly in his arms, “We have to follow that Gothitelle!”

They quickly ran after the psychic pokemon and disappeared into the fog. When the fog began to dissipate, they found themselves back on Skyarrow Bridge but the construction pieces lying around told them they were still inside the Dream World version.

The Gothitelle suddenly turned around and glared at them, a much different reaction than before and fired an unexpected attack.

“That Gothitelle is the same one we met in the real world!” Black exclaimed as they dove to the side to avoid the blast.

“Gothitelle, please let us go back!” Satoshi pleaded, and the Gothitelle held her palm up once again, denying their request.

Black sighed, resigned, “Maybe the only way to settle this is with a battle before she would let us through.”

Satoshi didn’t need any further encouragement and sent out his Snivy again.

This angered Gothitelle and she fired off another off another psychic beam that Snivy dodged easily.

“Use Leaf Blade and then Vine Whip!” Satoshi ordered, but before Snivy could aim with her blade, the Gothitelle made copies of herself and confused Snivy. In her confusion, Gothitelle hit her with another blast of psychic energy.

“Snivy!” Satoshi called in concern as the little grass snake struggled to stand up.

As Gothitelle started to fire another Psybeam, Black stepped in and threw his own Pokeball and Shiro appeared, standing in front of Snivy and absorbing the psychic attack.

“Shiro, use Dark Pulse!”

The Deino gathered up the dark energy and fired it off. The energy blast bounced off Gothitelle’s Protect and back towards them when Kuro jumped in and took the blast.

In their shock, Black and Satoshi turned around and stared at White, “What are you doing sis?”

“I’m sorry, but… I want to speak to Gothitelle myself,” she said. A determined light was shining in her eyes as she stepped forward to stand next to her Purrloin.

“Wait, don’t get too close!” Satoshi called, “It’s dangerous.”

White shook her head, “I’ll be fine.” She was facing Gothitelle, a few steps away now.

“Your dream is a wonderful one,” she said, surprising the Gothitelle enough that she stopped charging up her next attack.

“And I understand now: You wanted to go back to those days. They were happy ones because you had fun, you had a purpose, and you don’t understand why it had to be over so soon.”

“I’m right, aren’t I?” White continued speaking when the Gothitelle simply stared at her in shock, “I am also like you. I wanted to go back to happier days; to the days when my brother and I would challenge each other to reach our own dreams and we had fun doing it.”

“That might be part of the reason why I pushed for us to go on this journey. It’s funny right? I did this in order to get my brother to come back and be himself again, he also came back with a new goal in mind; which meant that I have to find mine if I don’t want to be left behind. When happy times end, we have to change with it or else we will get stuck in a loop, and I don’t want to be stuck in the past.”

Satoshi glanced over at Black who looked shocked, “Wait… sister, are you saying that your dream isn’t to become the strongest trainer anymore?”

“What? That was her dream?” Satoshi asked curiously.

White smiled sadly and shook her head, “That’s what I wanted to tell you, brother. I have decided to give up that dream because I found a new one: I want to open up an agency for Pokemon and Humans alike to work together and show their talents to the whole world! That’s the dream I have now.”

She looked the Gothitelle in the eyes and Kuro tensed up, getting on all fours. The Gothitelle didn’t look happy and started to telepathically lift pieces of the bridge up. Kuro sprang forward protectively to come between the pokemon and her trainer as pieces of the debris flew at them.

White wasn’t scared. She stood tall and firm, convinced that her feelings were going to reach the psychic pokemon. “I am sure staying in the past is fun, but you are stuck in something that is not real, Gothitelle.”

As Kuro ran, a strange blue light began to surround her.

“And I don’t want to stay stuck!” White yelled as the debris flew all around them, converging upon Kuro.

From behind them, everyone was gaping, “Is… is that what I think it is?” Satoshi breathed out. Black could only nod as they watched the light grow brighter and engulfing the Purrloin.

“I want to work on my new dream! I want to walk forward! Towards the future!” White shouted. Her emotions were running high and she could practically feel her partner responding to them, evolving together.

“Because it’s my own!”

The floating debris crashed into her pokemon just before the light began to fade. When they could finally see again, in the Purrloin’s place was a larger sleek feline coloured in purple with a yellow underside and markings. She stood on four legs, an elegant tail swished back and forth and a mask framed her intelligent green eyes.

“Liepard,” Black breathed out and Satoshi’s pokedex sounded out.

_Liepard, the Cruel Pokemon and the evolved form of Purrloin. Well-known for its beauty, Liepard uses the element of surprise when battling opponents, attacking before they can react._

“Awesome!” White cheered after she checked her own pokedex. “Use your new move, Kuro!”

The newly-evolved Kuro gathered purple coloured energy in her mouth and was about to fire the ball when a voice rang out.

“Wait! Stop!”

They turned around and saw the woman in the orange dress from before running up to them, huffing a little.

“Gothitelle,” she said between gasps, “It’s me, Sally. Do you remember me?” The woman, Sally said.

Gothitelle’s eyes widened in shocked, seemingly trying to process the newcomer.

“We used to be good friends,” Sally continued, full of emotion, “But when the water taxi closed, we worked for a while in that factory, remember? Then I left to study to become a doctor. I heard that you escaped so I came back to find you.”

Sally walked up to Gothitelle, who was standing still in shock and let her approach. “I thought maybe you would come back here and I was right. But Gothitelle, we can’t go back to that anymore. I’ve grown older and so have you.”

Gothitelle’s eyes welled up as she recognized the older version of the girl she loved, and both of them shared the emotional reunion with a big hug.

As Satoshi, Black, and White watched them let go of the hug but still looking fondly at each other, the fog suddenly crept up and covered them all. Sally cried out when she couldn’t see Gothitelle anymore and when it cleared, the pokemon was gone.

They looked around and realized they were back in the real world once again.

“Hey, we’re back!” Satoshi exclaimed.

Sally looked around, and then gasped when she saw Gothitelle on top of the bridge tower. The pokemon was waving at them with a smile.

“Will I see you again?” Sally called out.

Gothitelle nodded and then vanished with the fog.

“Now that is one mysterious Gothitelle,” White commented with a relieved smile, “I guess there will always be something to learn about a pokemon.” Black and Satoshi nodded in agreement.

From behind them, Officer Junsa pulled up, “That fog appeared and the disappeared so fast, how strange.”

The trio exchanged looks with Sally before laughing. White reached over to scratch her new Liepard under her chin, “Strange indeed,” she said knowingly.

 

* * *

 

 

After they said good-bye to Sally and returned Shiro, Kuro, and Snivy back to their pokeballs, they finally got to cross the real Skyarrow Bridge.

“Hey…” Black said, walking closer to White. “Everything you said before… about your new dream and the past.”

“Yeah,” said White, “I wanted to tell you but I was still thinking about how it will work, though now that I said it out loud, it feels right: I want to create a Pokemon Talent Agency.”

“That sounds great,” Satoshi said encouragingly. “It’s a great dream.”

“Yes,” Black agreed. “But… I also need to apologize to you, sis.”

“Huh?” White stopped walking, which caused everyone else to stop and they stood at the middle of the busy bridge as the cars and trucks drove by below them. “Why do you need to apologize?

Black looked away and stared out into the river so they couldn’t see his expression. “You had to put your dreams on hold to look after me,” he said, sounding a bit hoarse. “I know that we started this journey because you wanted to help me, and I didn’t even help you in return. I’ve been… a bad brother to you.”

White blinked, staring at her brother who was still doing his best not to look at her, before she smiled and lightly punched him in the arm, “You’re being silly. We are family and looking out for you is what I do.”

“But…”

“Don’t feel guilty, little brother. You’ve always been a constant source of support, and this was something I wanted for you or else I would feel bad too.”

“Right,” Black nodded. He turned slightly to discreetly wiping at his eyes. “I will definitely support your new dream.”

“You better!” White retorted with a big smile. She knew that having Black on board with her new dream was the best thing she could ask for.

“I’m so glad we all have dreams to work for,” Satoshi piped up, nodding almost to himself. “Let’s get to Castelia City!” Pikachu echoed his trainer with a bright smile.

The twins smiled at their friend in agreement, and they resumed crossing the bustling Skyarrow Bridge.

As the skyscrapers loomed closer and closer, White felt lighter than before. When this journey is over, she will set about making that dream of hers a reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Notes:  
> The anime portrays Dark Pulse as more of cyclical beam of dark energy but for the purpose of baby Shiro, it is more like a ball of energy for now (A little bit like Shadow Ball but the dark version).  
> Another note is that you may be wondering if the floating debris move that Gothitelle used was Psyshock and that would mean Kuro was immune to it, but it wasn’t that move specifically.  
> White’s Purrloin evolved into Liepard  
> Black’s Emonga is revealed to know Double Team
> 
> Japanese -> English Dub  
> Sally -> …Sally
> 
>  
> 
> \--
> 
> Also, I'M BAAAACK! And the story is starting to pick up now.
> 
> If you've read all the way to this point, thank you so much, and see you next time.


	20. The Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Satoshi’s upcoming gym match is put on hold yet again. This time, it’s something bigger than any of them could have imagined.

The night before…

“Dr. Seger, any progress on the meteonite?”

“We should be getting close. What is the status?”

“We’re getting a signal on plot 16012.”

A helicopter painted black blended into the night sky. Its insignia of the letter R was illuminated by the bright beam that was scanning the terrain beneath them.

“I have found it!” Dr. Seger said gleefully.

The light turned bright as the scanner found what it was looking for, and deep within the layers of sand, a light pulsed in response.

* * *

 

Satoshi couldn’t help but stare, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the sheer size of Castelia City as they walked along the crowded streets. Pikachu and Bijou were also looking around from their perches on top of their trainers’ heads in amazement.

“Wow, Castelia City is so much bigger than I thought,” he breathed out in wonderment as he stared up into the skies. There were skyscrapers everywhere, reaching high up. It was almost dizzying to look up from the bottom.

The twins followed him at a leisurely pace as they passed by the pokemon center.

“Black could probably tell you more about the city,” White said with a teasing grin towards her brother.

Black blinked, “Uh, yeah, I guess I can. Let’s see… Castelia City is the largest city in Unova and is surrounded mostly by water. It has a world-class harbor where you can take a river cruise or visit Liberty Island. It’s also a hub for all sorts of people to gather in one place and there are a lot of districts with specialty shops and restaurants or cafes for socializing. Many people also work here in the high rise buildings because there are lots of company headquarters here. The company, GF, is here, and so is PokeCo which develops many pokemon products.”

“And what my dear brother forgot to mention in his little tour guide spiel is that Castelia is also world famous for its Casteliacone!” White added, clapping her hands together, “It’s a delicious ice cream treat!”

“Wow, there’s a lot of things to do in Castelia,” said Satoshi, looking almost a bit dazed from the landslide of information he just got, “But… I want to hit the gym first!”

“Arti has a big presence not only as gym leader of the city and as a leader in the arts too.” Black informed him, “We can get to his gym if we cut across the central park.”

They set off for the central park. It was the only spot in the city with greenery, but it was also a huge circular area that would take time to navigate through. As they walked along the dirt path instead of concrete, Satoshi noticed someone ducked under the trees.

“Arti!” He exclaimed, recognizing the tall man clad in green.

The gym leader turned to greet them, “Hey everyone. I see you made it to Castelia, welcome!”

“I’m ready for our gym battle,” said Satoshi eagerly.

Arti frowned a little, “I’m sorry but the battle will have to wait. You see, recently, there has been something that’s… not right. The bug pokemon have been restless and behaving oddly since last night.”

“Behaving oddly?” White asked.

“It’s been said that bug pokemon have a higher capability of detecting danger,” Black said thoughtfully.

Arti looked at Black in surprise, “Yes, you’re right. I’m a little impressed that you know that.”

“When it comes to pokemon knowledge, my brother knows,” White said, puffing in pride, to Black’s embarrassment.

“So there’s something dangerous that the bug pokemon are worried about?” Satoshi asked, trying to make sense of the conversation.

“Well the answer is simple, let’s follow some bug pokemon,” said White. She pulled out her pokeball, “Kuro, find us a bug-type!”

The Liepard appeared in a flash, sniffed the air, and then took off through the park. The humans quickly followed after her, exiting the gates of the park and then coming to a stop down the street where Kuro appeared to be sitting on the concrete, staring at a manhole cover.

“Here?” White asked her pokemon and Kuro nodded. “Thanks for your help,” she returned the Liepard back into the ball.

“Where does this lead, Arti?” Satoshi asked, crouching down to lift the lid. Underneath the cover, the ladder descended into pitch black darkness.

“This leads to the underground pathways under the city,” said Arti. Then he had a realization, “Oh! Pokemon living in the wasteland outside the city often use the tunnels to travel. Maybe we’ll find a clue down there.”

“Pi?” Pikachu suddenly perked up, ears twitching, as he stared down into the dark tunnels.

“What is it Pikachu? Is something down there?” Satoshi asked.

Pikachu nodded. It was then unanimously decided that they would go down to the tunnels.

The ladder bottomed into a series of tunnels where they could walk on one side while the waste and sewage travelled on the other. There wasn’t a strong smell so they were able to walk without much complaint.

Then they came across a strange sight: a pipeline in the wall seemed to be clogged by something wriggling about in it.

“It looks like it’s stuck,” Arti said after closely observing the wriggling pokemon.

Satoshi lifted up his pokedex to identify the pokemon: _Venipede, the Centipede Pokemon. Venipede explores its surroundings by sensing vibrations in the air with feelers on its head and tail._

“We have to get it out!” said Satoshi, putting away his pokedex and reaching out to touch the Venipede.

Black opened his mouth to warn him but Arti beat him to it when he put his hand on Satoshi’s arm, “Satoshi, you shouldn’t. Venipede’s ability is to poison whoever touches it.”

“But…” Satoshi looked to the Venipede with great concern as its struggles become smaller and smaller. “It’s getting weaker.”

“We can look for another way,” White suggested gently.

Satoshi shook his head vigorously, “No, we have to do it right now.” And with that, he pulled the Venipede hard and with a pop, they both flew backwards out of the pipe.

The Venipede looked at them, startled, and let out a piercing sound that hurt their ears but it died down quickly and the Venipede was trembling.

“It’s injured,” said Satoshi, noticing the scratches on its head and he came forward to try and take a closer look at the wound but the Venipede recoiled back and then sprang forward to tackle Satoshi, surprising everyone.

“Are you okay?” Black and White both rushed to their friend’s side but it looked like Satoshi was fine as he held the Venipede gently, comforting the little bug and murmuring gently.

“I’m surprised he’s not poisoned,” Black remarked to Touko and Arti.

But as soon as he said that, Satoshi started sweating and gasping and in his last breath, he asked them to take care of Venipede as he collapsed. Arti and Black immediately started rummaging through their bags for the medicine.

White shook her head exasperatedly, “Spoke too soon.”

“Do you have an antidote for Satoshi?” Arti asked and Black nodded. “Then I’ll take care of the Venipede.”

Black pulled out the bottle and a spoon and with Bijou and Pikachu’s help, they got Satoshi to sit upright against the wall and poured the antidote down his throat.

Satoshi grimaced but he opened his eyes, looking straight at Black’s concerned ones. “Thanks Black,” he said.

The brunet sighed, “That was so risky Satoshi.”

Satoshi shrugged and said brightly, “It needed my help, what else would I do? Besides, I knew you and White had my back.”

Black gaped at him, both touched that Satoshi trusted them so much but also wanting to whack him because it would encourage him to do more stupid stunts. He already knew that it was something Satoshi does on a daily basis, but to constantly see his genuine sincerity was humbling still every time.

But above all, he was in awe at how far Satoshi would go to help any pokemon out even if it was dangerous.

Satoshi looked normal again after the poisoning while over with their other companions, Arti had just finished treating the Venipede with White’s assistance and there was a white bandage on the Venipede’s head. The pokemon was also looking much better so Black pulled out an oran berry to feed it and help it regain strength.

White nudged her brother, having clearly heard the conversation earlier, and said, “Hey when Satoshi gets reckless, we’ll always have his back right?”

“…Right,” Black conceded, despite his thoughts of misgivings.

“But Satoshi!” Arti cried out in front of them, full of emotion, “You looking out for Venipede no matter the cost has touched my pure-heart!”

“Ah… it really was nothing, you and Black were the ones to help us both in the end,” Satoshi said sheepishly.

Suddenly, Bijou’s ears perked, “Osha?” She turned towards the nearby tunnel, catching everyone else’s attention. Out of nowhere, a swarm of Venipede marched past them through the sewers!

“Whoa, where did they come from?” White blinked in shock.

“Don’t tell me those are all from the wasteland,” Arti said worriedly, “Something must have driven them all here.”

A few of the Venipede left the herd and was staring at them with hostility, antennae waving at them ominously.

“We got to get out of here,” said Arti, shooing White and Black down the tunnel and back to the ladder.

“Come on Satoshi! That Venipede will be okay!” White called, and after a few moments, Satoshi also joined them as they climbed back out in a hurry.

But when they reached the surface, they found that they didn’t successfully get away because there were now Venipede stomping all over the city, climbing walls and harassing the people on the streets.

As the group stared in shock at the sight of so many Venipede on the streets, Officer Junsa pulled up behind them and told them to get to shelter.

“Junsa,” Arti asked, “What’s going on here?”

“The Venipede came out of the sewers and are all over the city,” replied Junsa. “Professor Juniper is looking into the cause but it’s not safe out here, they’re attacking civilians.”

Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard and they saw smoke rising above the buildings.

“That came from the direction of the Pokemon center!” Arti said urgently, and they all ran towards the smoke.

In front of the center, they saw several trainers with their pokemon out doing battle with the Venipede swarm. All the way down, they recognized Shootie who had released his own pokemon into the fray.

“What pokemon is that?” Satoshi wondered as he kept running.

“It’s a Lampent,” Black answered swiftly, “A ghost and fire type pokemon.”

_Lampent, the Lamp Pokemon. Lampent moves around by floating through the air. Most often found in the deep forest, they now can be seen living in cities as well._

“Lampent, use Flamethrower to drive the Venipede away!” Shootie ordered, and the other trainers followed suit with using their own Flamethrowers. Some of the Venipede were damaged by the fire while others retaliated with Sludge Bombs that rained down on the trainers.

“Stop! STOP!” Satoshi yelled, getting in front of the swarm. “Don’t attack the Venipede!”

“We can’t stop,” said Shootie coolly, “The Venipede are attacking us, we have to drive them away.”

“That’s right,” another voice spoke up and everyone turned around to see a man in a white suit walk up to the center.

“Mayor,” Arti addressed the man, “Did you tell the trainers to attack the Venipede?”

“It’s for the safety of the citizens,” the Mayor replied. “We cannot just let them run wild.”

“But the Venipede are just scared,” White argued, “And Professor Juniper is going to figure out what’s causing them to stampede like this.”

“Well we can’t just let them run wild like this,” said the Mayor.

“I got it,” said Arti, snapping his fingers, “How about we contain them? We’ll lead them all to the city park and keep them there until Professor Juniper finds the solution.”

The Mayor thought for a moment, “Well…” he trailed, uncertain about what decision would be in their best interest.

“Please Mayor?” Satoshi pleaded earnestly, and the twins both nodded, adding their pleas as well.

“Fine,” the Mayor relented. “I’m leaving the rounding up to you then, Arti. If you can’t do it by sun down, then I will have to take matters into my own hand.”

Arti nodded, “Understood.”

“I’m going to get Nurse Joy, her Audino can help,” Black volunteered and ran into the center after Arti agreed to that idea.

The gym leader turned to Satoshi and White, “Let’s go round up the Venipede.”

“But... how?” Satoshi asked, looking around at the unruly behavior of the swarm. It didn’t seem organized.

“Venipede swarms have a leader,” Arti explained, “So we should go get the leader to help us.”

White and Satoshi agreed it was a good plan and they set off for the densest area of the swarm to look for the leader.

As they ran down the street, dodging Venipede left and right, White asked, “How do we find the leader?”

“When pokemon are in danger, they usually stay close together. We should find the Venipede crowded in one area around their leader.”

They slowed to a stop at an intersection that was chock full of Venipede and began trying to spot the leader.

“Generally, the leader will also be in a place that will let them monitor the whole group,” Arti added.

White spotted a larger than normal Venipede on top of the building and pointed it out, “There! Is that leader?”

Arti turned around and saw the large Venipede jumping down to the ground. He tried to approach them, “Venipede, we need you to follow us, it’s too dangerous to stay here.” The leader-Venipede appeared to not be listening and threw Sludge Bombs that Arti nimbly dodged by throwing himself to the side.

“I don’t think the leader wants to listen to us,” White said dryly. “What do we do now?” 

Suddenly, Shootie appeared with his Lampent, “Attack the leader, Lampent, use Flamethrower!”

The Lampent shot out a stream of fire that hit the leader-Venipede and pushed it back.

Satoshi was incensed, “What are you doing? I thought we agreed to contain the Venipede!”

Shootie wasn’t persuaded and argued, “If the leader was taken out, then the swarm will fall apart. That is the best way to deal with them. Lampent, use Shadow Ball!”

Lampent sent out the ball of energy at the leader but Satoshi jumped in front of the attack, shocking Shootie and White.

“Why did you do that?” Shootie asked Satoshi as White ran over to check him over for injuries and she was followed by a Venipede with a white bandage. The Venipede butted Satoshi in concern and Satoshi reassured the both of them that he was fine before answering Shootie, “The Venipede won’t threaten us unless we attack them.”

“Yeah,” said White, giving Shootie an unimpressed look, “They’re just scared ‘cause they were run out of their home!”

Arti agreed, “We haven’t reached out to their pure hearts yet.”

It was at that moment that Black returned with Nurse Joy and her Audino, and Shootie returned his Lampent.

“Alright then, have it your way,” he said bluntly and walked off.

Black watched Shootie walk away with a puzzled look, “Did I miss something?”

White and Satoshi both shook their heads, grimacing a little at the other trainer’s abruptness.

Arti asked Joy to have Audino use Heal Pulse and the emitted energy calmed down the leader-Venipede and the swarm. The gym leader then pulled out a flute and when he played it, the Venipede responded and followed him down the streets of the city.

After a few seconds of watching Arti rounding them up with ease, White turned to her companions, “Let’s round up the rest of them!”

Satoshi and Black both agreed and they scattered around to find all the stray Venipede.

White had Kuro scare the Venipede back into the marching swarm with Shadow Ball.

Black asked Bijou to wash the Venipede sticking to the buildings with Water Gun and they rejoined the swarm without harm. They moved on to the next set of buildings ad Bijou continued to ‘wash’ the buildings, successfully nudging them all to move away.

Satoshi was getting his Pidove to blow them back with her Gust move one of the Venipede decided to fight back with a Sludge Bomb, scaring Pidove. But before it could connect, another bigger slice of wind neutralized the attack. Satoshi turned around to find Shootie helping them out with his Tranquil, a begrudging look on his face. It greatly encouraged Satoshi and Pidove to continue and they rounded up more of the Venipede with Gust before moving down to the next street.

Another set was in an alleyway and Pidove summoned up as much power as she could to blow them out into the streets, and after she cooed in celebration at her success, a familiar glow began to surround her.

Satoshi and Pikachu gasped, “She’s evolving!”

When the glow faded, a bird similar to Shootie’s Tranquil appeared with a triumphant chirp.

“Wow, Tranquil!” Satoshi exclaimed just as the twins came up the street to check on him.

“Pidove evolved!” White said when she saw Tranquil, “Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” Satoshi said. He couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.

* * *

 

By the evening, the central park was filled to the brim with Venipede, watched over by Officer Junsa and her police force, and the streets were finally cleared.

“You have done a fine job, Arti,” said the Mayor.

“I barely did anything, it was these children doing most of the work,” Arti said, waving off the praise and gesturing to Satoshi, White, Black, and Shootie 

As Arti and Junsa continued speaking with the mayor, Shootie turned around and began to walk away.

“Hey wait,” Satoshi called, “What about your gym match?”

“I have a feeling this problem will take a lot more time to solve. In the meantime, I will go challenge another gym,” Shootie answered.

“Huh?” Satoshi blinked, unable to fathom why Shootie wasn’t bothering to stay and help, “Okay then… let’s have a battle the next we meet.”

“If your team is worth battling again, then we will.”

With those parting words, Shootie disappeared down the street in the cover of the night.

White huffed, “He sure thinks a lot of himself.”

“He seems like a trainer who is striving to be the strongest he can be,” Black commented. “He kind of reminds me someone.”

White shot him a knowing look while Satoshi asked, “Who?”

“A childhood friend actually, his name is Cheren.”

Arti interrupted the conversation and told them that Professor Juniper had just arrived on a helicopter and they go with him and Officer Junsa to the rooftop to meet her.

“Hi everyone, it’s great to see you’re all doing well,” said the Professor with a wave.

“Professor!” White exclaimed, “Did you figure out what’s happening?”

Professor Juniper nodded, “Take a look at this.” She pulled out a tablet and showed them the screen.

The arrows seemed to be pointing at a mass of colours that seemed to gather around a brown area of the map. Black narrowed his eyes, recognizing the location the arrows were pointing to.

“That’s the Desert Resort,” he said.

“Correct!” Professor Juniper said, “I’ve discovered through satellite thermal imaging that there is a strange and mysterious energy flowing into the Desert Resort and I’m going to find out what it is.”

“I will come too,” Junsa offered, and Juniper agreed.

“Can we come too?” Satoshi asked.

Juniper furrowed her brows in confusion, “You want to come too?”

“Yes, I want to know what’s going on,” said White, “I think we can handle it.”

“Really?” Professor Juniper looked shocked and she turned to the final member of the little group for his opinion.

Black didn’t hesitate either, adding, “I would like to find the answer, Professor.”

Professor Juniper blinked. She hadn’t heard such conviction like that from her (former) assistant in a long time, and a she smiled widely, “Traveling seems to have done you a world of good like your sister thought. Okay, let’s go then.”

“I would like to go too,” said Arti, “but… I’m worried about the Venipede being confined in the park so I will stay and look after them.”

“Thanks Arti,” Black said softly, and the gym leader gave him a comforting smile.

“You’re the best person for the job, Arti!” White added with an encouraging salute, and they all piled into the helicopter.

“Take care of the Venipede okay?” Satoshi called, remembering his bandaged friend.

“Don’t worry, just leave them to me!” Arti said, waving to them as the white helicopter took off into the night sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Oh boy oh boy, where do I even begin with this episode… I really wish Satoshi had actually got that Venipede since they seemed to bond so well. This episode actually made me LIKE Venipede because the one he befriended was pretty adorable, but I suppose with him already having a Sewaddle, they had to put a stop to the bug party that Satoshi seemed to be throwing aha.  
> \- I’ll miss Satoshi’s Pidove; she was adorable with all her cooing and being a generally happy little heart-shaped bird  
> \- Anyways, we’re going into a bigger canon-divergence with the next chapter (given that it’s an unaired episode and was scrapped) so strap yourselves in, it’s gonna be a ride.  
> \- No translations needed this chapter since there were no new characters being introduced!


	21. The Three-Fronted Desert Royale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we have… another 2-part special?! It’s Satoshi & Co. VS Team Rocket VS Team… Plasma? Wait, weren’t they disbanded?

## Part I

As the Professor’s helicopter flew through the sky, the lights of Castelia City faded behind them and ahead of them was a dark expansive space as far as they could see. The five of them were crowded inside the small cockpit, with the pilot sitting just in front.

“Desert Resort is what we call this entire place and it’s massive,” Juniper said, pulling up her tablet and showing them the map without the arrows and energy from before. “Many researchers and archeologists are still trying to explore the full area to this day.”

“Wow, so there might be places no one knows about?” Satoshi asked.

Professor Juniper nodded, “There are lots of strong wild pokemon roaming around too. A big reason that slows down researchers and trainers alike are the constant sand storms blowing the region, and it can get really dangerous to stay for too long.”

“I heard recently that a new site was discovered deep in the sands,” said Officer Junsa, “They’re calling it ‘Relic Castle’ for now but not much is known about it.”

“Oh yes, Relic Castle,” said Juniper and they glanced at her map in silence. The Professor seemed to be thinking for a moment, “If there’s anything strange happening, I have a feeling it will be there.”

“Roger that,” the pilot acknowledged and the helicopter swung a bit to the left and flew off.

They few on for a few minutes more minutes with no changes to the sandy terrain they were seeing below them. White decided to stand up and stretch while the others seemed preoccupied with their own seat windows. She walked over to the back windows to view the sky and the emerging stars in the night when something dark moved into view.

She blinked for a moment, confused by the object but as it moved closed to them, she recognized it as a black helicopter under the guise of the night. Then the door opened and she couldn’t see the faces of the figures in the copter but she recognized the shape of a Liepard next to them. She quickly reacted by throwing open the door to their copter and the rush of air blew into the cockpit.

“Professor! There’s someone else out there!” She called to the others and as they crowded over to see what she saw. White then released her own Liepard while staring down the intruders, trying to see if she could call their bluff.

“Who are they?” Satoshi asked, not recognizing the people, but no one knew the answer. It was too dark to see their faces and they were also wearing black; they clearly did not want to be recognized.

“Kuro, watch them carefully,” White instructed. She had a bad feeling about this.

“Who are you people? Show yourselves!” Satoshi shouted at them.

There was no response, but one of the shadowy figures ordered their Liepard to use Hyper Beam, and the powerful beam charged up and was aimed right at them. The entire group gasped.

“Shadow Ball, Kuro! Hurry!” White said, hoping they would be able to neutralize the attack, or at least redirect it because they had nothing else stronger than a Hyper Beam.

Kuro opened her mouth and shot the shadowy ball of energy. It collided with the white energy beam and an explosion rocked between the two helicopters, blowing them off course.

“Hold on, we have to make an emergency landing!” The pilot yelled to them and they scrambled to grab onto something as the helicopter jerked them back and forth and then spiraled down into the sand.

* * *

White groaned. Her head was pressed into Kuro’s fur and she looked up to see where the others were. Black was hunched over, pressing Bijou close to protect her and Professor Juniper was near him, also on the floor. The door of their helicopter was open and Satoshi had rolled out onto the sandy ground with Pikachu sticking close to him. Officer Junsa was the only one standing upright and keeping watch outside.

“Is everyone alright?” Junsa asked them, and she was met with affirmative answers from everyone.

Professor Juniper helped their pilot out of the aircraft and together they gazed at the aircraft. It was not severely damaged but it would require fixing before it could fly again.

Black looked up, seeing the helicopter that attacked them still circling the sky, “We can’t stay here.”

“We have to return to Castelia,” said Juniper, “It’s too dangerous out here.”

“So we have to walk?” White asked despondently as a burst of sand whirled around them and the small grains whipped at their faces like tiny stinging pokes.

But before anyone could say anything else, the black helicopter descended and the two figures with their Liepard showed up at the door again.

“Why did you attack us?” Satoshi demanded.

One of the figures scoffed and said, “We aren’t going to let you people get the Meteonite.”

“Meteonite…?” Juniper and Black asked simultaneously.

“The Meteonite belongs to Team Plasma and we won’t let anyone get to it first,” The other figure said.

“What?!” White and Officer Junsa exclaimed together.

“What are you guys talking about?” Satoshi asked, perplexed.

“You may not know anything but I’m sure the esteemed professor does.”

“But we aren’t here for that,” Juniper replied in confusion.

Suddenly, a shadowy blur lunged past them, surprising them all and then it tackled Pikachu.

“Pikachu!” Satoshi watched Pikachu and the other shadow tumble away out of sight and he immediately took off after his partner.

“Wait!” White shouted, but Black was already running after their friend. With an apologetic wave, White immediately followed and they were quickly swallowed up by the storm in the blink of an eye.

“You aren’t getting away!” The Team Plasma members yelled, directing their Liepard to go after Satoshi, Black, and White.

“Kids!” Professor Juniper shouted into the desert but they could no longer see anything in the sandstorm. 

* * *

The sand whipped around them, reducing visibility to only what was in front of their own eyes.

“Satoshi!” Black called after his sister caught up to him and together they tried to find Satoshi and Pikachu. Bijou had her eyes shut, scared of the sand getting in her eyes and she tucked herself into Black’s thin jacket vest.

“Wait, I think I hear him,” said White over the roar of the winds and when they ducked behind a large jagged boulder where the sand and wind were mostly blocked, they found Satoshi and Pikachu facing down… a familiar Sandile.

“Oh, it’s that Sandile again,” said White, noting the sunglasses staying on the Sandile despite it being the middle of the night.

“Yeah, it came all the way here to battle Pikachu,” said Satoshi, “So we have to do it.”

The twins didn’t know how to respond to that, but before they could come up with something, White heard a crunching sound from behind them and went to investigate.

She peeked out from the boulder and saw the two Team Plasma members with their Liepard sweeping the area, looking for them and wreaking all the boulders in their path.

“Team Plasma is out there,” White hissed to Black, “I’m going to go distract them. You get Satoshi and Pikachu out of here.”

“What? No!” Black protested, but White had already left. He turned back to see Satoshi’s match not going very well as Pikachu was constantly battered by the small storm that the boulder couldn’t block He had a hard time landing anything. The fact that two of his moves were sealed by Sandile’s typing didn’t help as Sandile wasn’t affected by the storm and then its Stone Edge crashed Pikachu into ground.

Satoshi was horrified as he realized Pikachu was badly injured. Things weren’t going well.

* * *

White stomped up to the Team Plasma members, “What are you two idiots still doing here?” She demanded.

“Aren’t you a bold one?” One of them drawled, “Kids shouldn’t meddle in Team Plasma’s affairs.”

“Well Team Plasma should figure out where they’re not wanted, “White retorted, “Especially since you’re just old news. Crawl back to where you came from!”

“How dare you disrespect us?” The female member said angrily, “Liepard, get that girl!”

“You want to do this?” White asked, taking out her pokeball, “Then let’s do this.” She released Kuro and her Liepard roared defiantly.

“Liepard, use Night Slash!”

“Kuro, counter that with Slash!”

The two Liepards confronted each other with their sharp claws, exchanging slashes before breaking apart.

“Hyper Beam!”

“Dodge that and use Pursuit!” Kuro narrowly evaded the powerful beam and swiftly lunged forward slamming into their opponent.

A voice called out, “White!” She turned around to see Black and Satoshi running over. Satoshi was clutching his Pikachu tightly in his arms.

“You were supposed to leave!” White exclaimed.

“I know but I don’t want to leave you behind,” said Black, “And Pikachu is injured badly.”

“So that’s where the rest of you are hiding,” said the male Team Plasma member, drawing out a pokeball and giving them a nasty smirk.

Just then, another voice called out, “Satoshi! Black! White!” They heard Professor Juniper’s voice and a jeep came veering out of the sand storm, bumping along the ground and stopping right in front them.

“Get in!”

“Oh, no, you’re not getting away!” The Team Plasma member insisted, calling for her Liepard to attack the jeep.

White hurriedly pushed her brother and Satoshi into the jeep, which was already crowded with the Professor and Officer Junsa.

She turned back to Kuro and came to an important decision so that they could get out of there.

“We need to stall them…” She muttered, “Kuro, use Assist.”

Black whipped around in shock, nearly hitting Satoshi in the process, “What?!”

A light surrounded the Liepard and then she gathered up the energy before releasing it. Water shot out in full force, surprising Team Plasma as they were pushed back by scorching hot water.

White quickly recalled Kuro and jumped into the jeep, and it drove away.

Satoshi was in awe, “I didn’t know Liepard could do that.”

“That was Assist,” Black answered, looking at his sister with suspicion, “A move that lets you use the moves of other pokemon… who are in your party, and I think the move Kuro just used was Scald.”

White ignored his suspicious glare and spoke to the Professor, “Thanks for getting us out of there, but where did you get this car?”

Professor Juniper nodded at the driver, “He picked us up.”

“Yo!” The driver said, turning around to face them with a genial smile and a salute.

“Handsome!” Satoshi exclaimed in recognition.

“Whoa, watch the road!” White said as the car wobbled a bit and the driver, Handsome, turned back to the wheel.

“Your name is Handsome?” Black asked, perplexed by the name.

“That’s right, I am a member of the world-patrolling international police,” said Handsome.

“We met before a few times,” Satoshi explained, “Handsome is a detective who catches bad guys.”

Detective Handsome nodded, “I am here in Unova with the task of tracking down Team Plasma. Even though they were disbanded, there are still members at large, including the leaders. I recently received intel on an important meeting taking place in Castelia so we have to head back right now.”

Satoshi looked down at Pikachu who looked pained, “Hang in there, buddy, we’ll get help for you.”

Black dug out a berry from his pack and passed it over to Satoshi, “This should help alleviate some of the pain until we can get to Nurse Joy.”

Satoshi smiled softly as he accepted the berry, “Thanks Black.”

* * *

With Handsome’s fast and erratic driving, they reached the pokecenter in the city at top speed and Satoshi ran in to put Pikachu into Nurse Joy’s care.

Then he joined Handsome, Black, White, Juniper, and Junsa as they convened in the front lobby to discuss Handsome’s intel.

“There have been rumours within the criminal networks that something significant will happen at the masquerade party which is happening tonight,” said Handsome. 

White frowned, “Something significant? Is it Team Plasma?”

“Actually, I heardthat Team Plasma is planning to appear but according to my data, they’re not the ones initiating the event.”

“Where is this going to be held?” Satoshi asked.

“It has started at the Royal Unova,” Handsome replied, “We have to get moving fast.”

“Then we will go undercover,” said Officer Junsa with a nod, standing up. “I will go get us some disguises from the police department.”

“Pikachu though… I can’t leave him behind,” Satoshi said, worried.

At that moment, a familiar ringing sounded from the front desk and Nurse Joy came out wheeling Pikachu on her cart, “Your pokemon are back to perfect health!”

“Wow, that was fast,” Satoshi exclaimed, running up and catching Pikachu as he jumped happily into his arms, “Pi-pika!”

Nurse Joy smiled kindly, “You are taking very good care of your Pikachu. It was already starting to recover its strength when you brought it in.”

“I think that’s the power of Nurse Black actually,” White said giggling, and Black shot her an unimpressed look.

Junsa returned promptly with some simple outfits and masks for them to wear and they borrowed an empty room in the center to change.

“Huh, should I wear a mask with colour or be ironic and choose a white mask?” White wondered out loud as she adjusted her dress straps. She was wearing a dark red dress with an asymmetric hemline and dress sandals. She decided not to do anything more to her hair except brushing it a bit and adding a bit of glitter and small stars to make her brown hair shine.

“I like this one,” Satoshi said, selecting a simple black and blue mask from the pile to put over his eyes. His outfit was a simple dark blue jacket and black dress pants with a shiny belt. Even Pikachu wore the same mask to match his trainer. 

Black sighed as he looked in the mirror. He wanted to wear the blue-black outfit Satoshi was wearing but he had to settle for a different one instead: It was a white dress shirt with a checkered vest. White had even exchanged his yellow clips for white ones to match, but luckily his pants were just plain black. Bijou had asked for her flower crown back and it shined on top of her head and she wore a velvety white eye mask to match Pikachu’s velvety black one.

“Hey, that’s a cool necklace,” Satoshi commented, noticing the chain around Black’s neck. Without his usual tee-shirt to cover it, the two small round charms were more visible now: one that was plain and other with a pokeball design on it.

“Ah… thanks,” Black said, feeling embarrassed as he fiddled with the chain self-consciously.

“Are we all set?” Professor Juniper walked in wearing a light green dress and Handsome followed her, dressed in an inconspicuous black tuxedo. After checking that they had everything they needed, the group left the center and headed down to the harbor where the luxurious cruise ship sat shining on the water and attracting all sorts of well-dressed civilians.

After Handsome handed over the tickets, they observed the many people gathered in the ballroom of the ship. It looked to be an elegant affair, illuminated by the city lights through the glass windows.

“Wow, it looks like all sorts of people are here,” White said, looking around and feeling impressed.

Handsome nodded, “Seems like all the important people of Castelia City are here – top businessmen, innovators, entrepreneurs… I believe the gym leader Arti was also invited but he recently declined his invitations, citing unforeseen circumstances.”

“I hope he’s okay with the Venipede,” said Satoshi.

“I spoke to him before going into the desert. He seems to have everything under control, but we have to find out what is really going on,” Handsome responded and they all nodded in agreement.

Just then, a spotlight shined down through the crowd and then landing on an empty stage set up in the back.

“Esteemed people of Unova,” a female voice sounded out over the speakers. “Let us direct your attention to the stage where we, Team Rocket, have a special demonstration for you.”

“Team Rocket?!” Black, White, and Satoshi said together. Pikachu and Bijou exchanged alarmed glances with each other while the rest of the masquerade party started to mutter among themselves.

“That criminal gang from Kanto?” Handsome asked, stroking his fake mustache in thought. “There were whispers of them infiltrating Unova but we couldn’t find any proof. If the gang members are here, then this could be more of a problem than we thought.”

On the stage, the curtains pulled back and two figures wearing trench coats emerged, wheeling out a display and carrying microphones. Then, with a whirl, they bowed to the curtains at someone waiting in the wings.

A man wearing an expensive-looking dark grey suit emerged. The stern lines of his face portrayed an unfriendly demeanor and a smirk curled over his lips as he walked over and took the microphone.

“Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Sakaki.” The man, Sakaki, announced. “As of tonight, Team Rocket has acquired the power to control the entire region of Unova.”

There were gasps heard all around and one man yelled, “We aren’t scared of whatever powerful pokemon you have!”

“Yeah! Our champion will take you down!” A woman shouted.

“This is no mere pokemon!” Sakaki said, silencing the crowd, “We have acquired a power like no other pokemon, not even a legendary! I will demonstrate this power to you right now.”

Sakaki signaled to something out of sight and the man on the right unveiled the display they had set on the stage. Inside the glass case was a large rock.

“Is that… what I think it is?” Professor Juniper breathed in shock upon seeing the rock. The rest of the crowd shifted in restless confusion but after a moment, the rock began to glow a yellow and emanated heat.

Everyone started panicking when the heat began to grow and grow, raising the temperatures in the room, and fear of it exploding caused people to step away from Team Rocket.

“Pikachu? Pikachu what’s wrong?” Satoshi asked when he noticed Pikachu emitting sparks uncontrollably.

Black picked Bijou up, who was wobbling a bit, “Professor, what is happening?”

“I knew it!” Professor Juniper had taken out a small scanning device and was staring at the arrow moving erratically. “It’s the Meteonite. It was rumoured to contain energies unknown before but now it’s growing off the charts!”

“What does that mean?” White asked, growing more and more worried.

“It means something that powerful in the hands of a criminal gang is bad news,” Handsome replied.

Pikachu teetered back and forth and Satoshi picked him up in concern, wincing as he was getting small electric shocks.

“That’s right people!” One of the figures they hadn’t noticed earlier because they were so small, threw off his clothing to reveal… Meowth! “Team Rocket is now the strongest there is, so surrender to us right now!”

It was at that moment, something exploded in the corner of the room and smoke covered the room.

* * *

 

## Part II

White coughed and tried to cover her mouth as she looked for where Satoshi and her brother were. They weren’t too far away, also covering their mouths and their pokemon partners. Professor Juniper and Handsome crowded them closer in a protective huddle.

When the smoke cleared, the Team Rocket members let out a loud gasp of outrage. The Meteonite in the case was gone!

“Where is the meteonite?” Sakaki yelled angrily, turning to his team, “Find that rock immediately!”

“Sir!” They said and then dashed off, followed by the bi-pedal Meowth.

“We have to follow them!” Satoshi said, also breaking away to rush after them.

“No problem,” said White, glad she wasn’t wearing heels this time. She hiked the lower side of her dress up and ran down the hall with Black and Satoshi not too far behind. They followed the Rocket Gang through the doors and then up the stairwells and then found themselves on top deck of the ship.

They rushed out into the open space in time to see the backs of the Rocket gang members barreling forward and nearly pitched themselves off the railings trying to catch a familiar black helicopter.

“Hey!” Satoshi exclaimed, recognizing the aircraft, “Is that… Team Plasma?”

White watched the helicopter fly away, “Looks like they’re the ones who took the Meteonite.”

“And they’re headed for Desert Resort,” Black added, nodding in the direction northwest of the city, “We need to go back and tell the Professor and Handsome.” They closed the door again and ran down the stairs.

Behind them, the Team Rocket had overheard their conversation and turned to each other.

“Team Plasma?” The woman said in thought.

The man punched his palm in agitation, “We stole that Meteonite fair and square! How dare they steal from us!”

“We should report to the boss about this right away,” said Meowth.

“Agreed.” The trio nodded and quickly left the area.

* * *

“Professor, are the pokemon going to be okay?” Satoshi asked Juniper as he cradled Pikachu closely, ignoring the sparks the electric mouse was still emitting.

Professor Juniper was making a few adjustments on her handheld machine in the car as they sped through Castelia. Officer Junsa had stayed behind to watch over the citizens while Handsome drove them back into the Desert Resort after loading up the car with better desert protection gear.

“Arti is asking the same question,” White said from her seat. She had answered a call from the gym leader on her Xtransceiver. “The Venipede in the town park are getting more and more rowdy.”

“If we do not do anything about that Meteonite, I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse,” said Juniper.

“What exactly does the Meteonite do?” Black asked.

Before Juniper could answer, her Xtransceiver rang and she answered the call. Behind her, White was reassuring Arti that they would go after the thieves and solve the problem as soon as possible before hanging up and giving Bijou and Pikachu worried looks.

Juniper finished up her call and turned to them, “That was Aloe. It turns out my guess was right, someone had swapped out the Meteonite in her museum for a fake one.”

“That must have been Team Rocket,” said Satoshi.

“And now Team Plasma is acting up again,” Handsome added from up front. “We have to shut this down quickly. The radar is showing their location at what looks like the Relic Castle area.”

The Professor nodded, “According to the museum research, in ancient times, that rock was part of a much larger Meteonite that had entered the atmosphere and then broke into tiny pieces that scattered around the world. These mysterious stones conducted an energy that we are still researching to this day. However, some of the biggest pieces landed here in Unova which is a problem because they conduct energy on a much larger scale. It’s been theorized that the energy could be even limitless.”

“Is that what the pokemon are reacting to?” White asked.

“Yes, I also believe there is a myth being studied about the Meteonite in Relic Castle. I don’t have time to explain about that but essentially the Metonite piece we are looking at has the power to change the flow of energy and nature.”

“So it’s a source of energy that they want to manipulate,” said Black contemplatively. “Like when we encountered Team Rocket at the Dreamyard. They were trying to harness that power.”

“This could be disastrous if that rock fell into either of those criminal gangs’ hands!” Handsome said. The vehicle veered off the roads and onto the sands. With the roof hood pulled over them, they were able to block the sands but visibility was reduced to nearly zero now.

Professor Juniper looked worried, “I’ll call my research team to see what can be done about the Meteonite. You three should put on the desert gear and get ready.”

Satoshi, Black, and White, nodded and rummaged around to get their goggles, coats, and gloves on. Black removed the tiara from Bijou’s head and attached small round goggles around her head and Satoshi did the same but with rubbery goggles for Pikachu.

They rode through the desert night in silence as the Professor remained on her Xtransceiver call and Handsome concentrated on the screen that was his only navigation and avoided sand dunes.

Finally, they came to a stop at a cliff ledge and they stared. The sands had died down and they were able to see a deep hole in the ground, complete with ledges and stairs that travel all the way down, and at the bottom was a large ornate looking castle, deep green in colour but it was hard to make out in the dark.

“Well…” said Black, peering over the ledge. “That’s not what I was expecting.”

“What do you mean?” Satoshi asked and pointed down into the valley, “That’s Relic Castle right? It looks just like a castle.”

“This area has been under excavation for some time now,” said Juniper as she stepped out of the jeep, deeming the sandstorm to be not as strong here, “Though I’d say the progress on unearthing the castle has gone a lot faster than I would have thought.”

“I have a feeling Team Rocket has been loitering around this place for a while now if they were the ones to find the Meteonite,” said Handsome, scanning the area with suspicion.

“I guess we didn’t really need the desert gear if we’re going inside ruins,” said White, pulling off her goggles.

Professor Juniper pointed to the upper area of the castle, “According to the readings, the Meteonite should be in that part right there.”

Satoshi clenched his fists, looking pumped, “Alright, let’s get in there and get that Meteonite!”

“Actually…” Professor Juniper trailed. She looked pained. “We cannot just retrieve it; we will have to destroy it.”

“What?!” A chorus of voices rose in protest and Juniper simply shook her head helplessly.

“Team Rocket stole the museum’s Meteonite in order to find this one but in doing so, they resonated with each other.”

Satoshi was clueless, “What does that mean?”

“It means the other Meteonites ‘woke this one up’ and between them, they generate the energy that distorted nature’s balance and the only way to stop it is to break the one emitting the energy.” Professor Juniper finished her explanation with a sad smile.

“I guess we have to do what must be done,” said White. Black and Satoshi both nodded numbly in agreement.

“Pi,” Pikachu agreed weakly while Bijou blinked sleepily.

“If the other one can be retrieved, we can still study it,” Juniper said to cheer them up.

“Okay,” Satoshi turned to his friends and said, “We’ve got to get in there.”

* * *

After climbing down numerous stairs, Satoshi, Black, and White reached the bottom floor of the valley and the castle loomed ahead. Handsome stayed with Professor Juniper to monitor the situation from above.

Satoshi opened the front door and all three of them peeked through the crack. The floor was made up of stone bricks and there was sand flowing down through cracks in the walls and ceilings.

“I hope it’s stable,” said White, looking at the flowing sand warily.

They ventured forward through the narrow hall and found nobody around so they ascended the stairs, and then a few more, climbing up higher and higher through the castle.

On the fourth floor, they encountered a familiar trio from the masquerade party climbing up from the opposite stairs.

White planted her feet into the ground and pointed at them accusingly, “You! Team Rocket!”

“What an accusation!” The woman explained, ripping off her trench coat, revealing herself as Musashi.

“Our response that we give you is for the sake of tomorrow,” said the other man, Koujirou.

“Future! A white future reflects the colour of justice!”

“Universe! The hammer of justice in a blac-“

“WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!” Black yelled at them, causing the Rocket trio to jump in surprise.

“Eh?! That quiet twerp can talk back?” Meowth exclaimed. The three trainers ran past them and up the next flight of stairs before they snapped out of their shock.

“They’re getting away!” Musashi said angrily, stomping off to chase after them.

“Wait, weren’t we going after Team Plasma?” Koujirou reminded them.

“Those twerps are probably doing the same thing! Let’s follow them,” said Meowth, and they also proceeded to run up the stairs in hot pursuit of the other trio.

After more flights of stairs, they reached a stone doorway. On both sides, ornate stands stood and there were cracked pieces scattered about on the floor.

“Did they smash these things?” White asked, staring bug-eyed at the jagged edges.

Black pursed his lips tightly and Bijou looked up at him in concern.

They entered through the doorway and there were three Team Plasma members standing there and in front of them, the Meteonite was placed on a stand.

“Stop right there Team Plasma,” Satoshi announced, “Your evil schemes end here.”

“Evil?” One member responded indignantly, “Our plans are noble and world-saving!”

“Right, you want to ‘save’ pokemon,” White said sarcastically. “Hmmm what was it that you guys always said?” She said, mock-thinking. “Oh yeah, you want to ‘liberate pokemon from humans.’”

“How dare you mock us!” Another member said.

“Have you been hiding under a rock?” White asked, “’Cause the entire region has been mocking you. You’re finished without your leader!”

“Our leader is the noble King of Team Plasma and we will liberate pokemon in the name of our Hero,” said the third Plasma member.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Black quietly.

“What did you say?” The Plasma member whirled on Black and pulled out a pokeball. “Who are you to object to the ideals of our Hero?”

“Yeah!” The other two members closed in, blocking them from seeing the Meteonite, and pulled out pokeballs as well and released a Watchog, a Sandile, and a Liepard.

White drew out her pokeball and released her own Liepard and Satoshi and Black tensed up. Both sides stared each other down, ready to begin the confrontation.

“WAIT!” Another voice cried and Satoshi whirled around to see Musashi, Koujirou, and Meowth at the door, huffing and puffing.

“You… you stole that Meteonite from us!” Musashi said, pointing a finger at the Plasma members.

“Y-yeah! Our mission is to take it back in the name of Team Rocket!” Koujirou continued.

White threw her hands up in exasperation, “Great, we’re surrounded by the biggest morons while a stupid rock is screwing over the entire world.”

“You talk big for someone who couldn’t even beat me,” Meowth retorted.

“Oh really?” A shadow passed over White’s eyes and she smirked at them, “Kuro let’s take care of them.”

Her Liepard wound around from behind her trainer and fixed them an identical smirk.

The Rocket trio suddenly shuddered, “T-that’s the pokemon from before?” Meowth asked, pointing shakily.

“We won’t back down,” Musashi crowed and threw a pokeball, “Go Woobat!” The little furry bat appeared in a flash of light.

“Kuro, use Assist!” The Liepard’s paws started glowing and then it grew to surround the feline pokemon in rings of blue light.

“What move is that?” Koujirou wondered.

White shook her head, “Never mind, use Scratch!”

Kuro’s claws enlarged and she leapt forward at them.

Musashi took action, “Use Air Cutter!”

The Woobat flaps its wings furiously and released blades of air. They slammed into the blue rings and disappeared. Kuro was not affected at all and continued her attack, scratching the Woobat. 

Musashi’s Woobat went down immediately, and Team Rocket started panicking. Musashi turned to Meowth, “You go!”

“Right!” Meowth nodded, springing forward with his claws out. “Let’s see how you do against me, girly!”

* * *

Behind White’s back, Satoshi and Black squared off against the Plasma members.

“It’s now three against two and you boys are going down,” said the female Plasma member.

Satoshi turned to Pikachu, “Are you okay to go buddy?”

Pikachu wobbled a bit, sparks still emitting erratically but nodded.

Next to the electric mouse, Bijou looked a bit better and was determined to fight the criminal gang. Black understood her feelings and exchanged looks with Satoshi. The both of them were ready.

“Let’s go, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on that Watchog!”

“Bijou, Tackle that Sandile away from Pikachu!”

Pikachu sprang up and released the sparks built up in his cheeks and the powerful bolt landed on the Watchog. Bijou pushed off from the ground and was practically flying as she crashed into the Sandile and they both went tumbling away. The Liepard prowled after the two of them with a long purple light enlarging its claws and came up behind the Oshawott.

“Bijou, look out!” Black shouted, watching as Bijou was sent flying into the air by a wide slash from the Liepard.

“Oshaaaa!” Bijou cried from up in the air.

“Tackle the Liepard Bijou!” Black said, watching the trajectory of her fall and she twisted around to see where she was aiming at.

But instead of continuing to fall straight down, she reached for her the scalchop on her stomach and it glowed yellow. With the momentum of gravity, she slammed the scalchop down on the Liepard’s head, forming a blue blade-shaped attack.

“Whoa!” Satoshi gasped, seeing the attack. “What is that?”

Black took out his own pokedex and glanced at, “She learned Razor Shell!”

“That’s awesome!” Satoshi cheered and Black had to smile as well.

“Good job, Bijou!” He called, “Now use Razor Shell on the Sandile!”

Bijou spun around immediately and slashed at the Sandile. The small crocodile-pokemon went flying and crashed into the Liepard and the two of them went down in a pile.

“Now is your chance, hit them both with Water Gun!”

Bijou let out a burst of water that slammed into both pokemon and they slid together across the ground and hit the wall.

“Finish it with Ice Beam!”

Bijou swiftly followed up with shooting the icy cold energy and subdued the both of them in a pile of ice and snow.

“Wow, nice job,” Satoshi praised, “You were really strong.”

“I think that’s because of the Meteonite boosting our attacks,” Black reminded him.

“Oh yeah, the Meteonite!” Satoshi turned to Pikachu, “Pikachu! Go get the Meteonite!”

Pikachu nodded and put on a burst of speed as he charged towards the stand.

“No you don’t! Watchog, use Hypnosis!” The remaining Team Plasma member ordered indignantly.

“Intercept the Watchog with Water Gun!” Black called and Bijou’s burst of water swiftly slammed into the Watchog just as it was charging up its move and Pikachu continued running. 

Over with Team Rocket, Meowth and Kuro’s claws clashed again but this time, Kuro broke through and pushed Meowth back. The cat-pokemon fell backwards into Koujirou and Musashi, shouting in pain.

From the other side of the room, Satoshi ordered, “Destroy it with Electro Ball!”

“WHAT?!” Both criminal gangs cried in disbelief.

Pikachu began charging up a yellow ball of electric energy, “Pikapikapikapika.”

The energy ball grew bigger and bigger, until it rose to about three times its normal size. Then five times.

Satoshi and everyone else stared in disbelief as they were bathed in the yellow light.

“Pikapika-chupi!” With a final ending chant, the huge ball was released and it slammed into the Meteonite, shattering it into many small pieces and started glowing with increasingly intense heat. 

“NOOOO!” Team Plasma screamed in distress at seeing the broken pieces. 

“Uh oh, we gotta turn tail and run,” said Meowth to his partners. Koujirou nodded and they quickly hightailed it out the door, knowing what was coming next.

Black tugged on Satoshi’s arm, “We have to leave right now, the energy being released to going to…”

“It’s going to explode!” White finished with a frantic yell, quickly withdrawing her pokemon.

Satoshi nodded, and they quickly collected their pokemon before hurrying to the exit.

They rushed outside just in time to see yellow light shooting out of the top of the castle, and then they continued running up the stairs to escape the chasm.

“Satoshi! Black! White!” Professor Juniper waved at them, trying to urge them to reach where she and Handsome waited by the jeep.

They were nearly down with the last set of stairs when the ground began to shake underneath and down in the dark chasm, the top of Relic Castle exploded.

Satoshi tripped on a rock at the same time a tremor ran under them which sent him flying and Pikachu was knocked off his shoulder and over the ledge.

“Pikaaaaa!” Pikachu screamed in terror as he fell backwards into the dark abyss.

“Pikachu!” Satoshi yelled, reaching out to try and catch his partner.

From behind him, White threw a pokeball into the air, “Catch Pikachu, Manna!”

In a flash, something large and white emerged from the ball and swooped down into the darkness and then rose back up, flapping its powerful wings. It was a large white bird with a long elegantly curved neck, and Pikachu sat on its back.

“Pikachu!” Satoshi exclaimed in relief, catching him when Pikachu leaped at him with a happy cry. He turned to the new pokemon, “Thank you!”

The bird-pokemon preened and White patted her pokemon with a smile. Satoshi immediately took out his pokedex to check it out.

_Swanna, the White Bird Pokemon, and the evolved form of Ducklett. Because of its long, powerful neck, Swanna can deliver forceful attacks with its beak._

“So you did bring Manna!” Black said accusingly.

“So that’s where Manna went,” Professor Juniper said mildly.

Satoshi stared at Manna and then to White with an obvious questioning look.

White looked sheepish, “I uh… I brought her from the lab.”

“Why didn’t you mention you had another pokemon?” Satoshi asked.

“That’s because… well... I was worried about encountering something really dangerous so I brought her for back-up.”

“Oh,” said Satoshi, blinking. “That makes sense.”

Black shot his friend a bemused look, “Really?”

“I was going tell you about Manna but at the beginning of this journey, I thought it would be a good idea to bring her along,” White argued.

Black finally closed his eyes and sighed, “Fine, I understand. You were just looking out for us.”

White nodded, looking relieved that her brother understood.

Professor Juniper clapped her hands, startling the trio slightly, “I’m glad you three are doing well but next time, please inform me, White, I’ve been looking everywhere for Manna’s pokeball in the lab.”

“Sorry Professor.”

Juniper shook her head, “It’s fine. You three made it out safely and it looks like the Meteonite has been destroyed. Let’s return to Castelia.”

“We saw the Team Plasma members sneak out and I have informed the retrieval team,” said Handsome. “They should be apprehended in no time. Thank you for your help, kids.” 

“Is Team Plasma really disbanded?” Satoshi wondered out loud.

“Mostly,” said Handsome, “Most of the gang members have either abandoned Team Plasma or were arrested. I’m still getting reports of sightings of some of leaders so I’ve been asking some of Unova’s strongest trainers to help track them down. Though… I haven’t been able to find the current Champion yet.” He said, looking a bit concerned about it.

“Right…” said White, pursing her lips. Then a thought occurred to her, “Wait, what about Team Rocket and their activities?”

“I didn’t see them here,” said Handsome, frowning, “And the other members have already left the city, but I’m sure we’ll catch up to them.”

“At least the energy imbalance has been restored and I’ve received reports that the pokemon are back to normal so, all’s well that ends well then,” said Juniper and as soon as she said that, White and Satoshi let out huge yawns simultaneously. Black turned around with Bijou in his arms to see the sun peeking over the desert horizon and the land started to warm up once again.

Upon seeing the sunrise, White screeched, “Arceus, we’ve been up ALL NIGHT!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- It was very tempting to write Handsome-san… trust me  
> \- So these two episodes in anime-canon were actually cancelled but they factor here as a significant event that continues influencing the changes in the rewrite  
> \- This was originally going to be a chase battle-confrontation with all three groups involved, but I switch for a more traditional pokemon game-esque plot… and then it became really long with so much info to try and contain…  
> \- Yeah… White kinda runs her mouth a lot when she talks to villainous gangs  
> \- The Meteonite origin sounds a lot like mega evolution doesn’t it?  
> \- I hope you liked it! This will be my last chapter upload for this year and I think ending it on like a big one is great, so thanks for reading


	22. Castelia, Castelia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In In which the long-awaited battle (and chapter) for the Insect Badge finally begins. White plays hooky to spend some time in the city and encounters someone familiar, leaving Black as the sole observer in Satoshi’s quest for the third badge.which the long-awaited battle for the Insect Badge finally begins. White plays hooky to spend some time in the city and encounters someone familiar, leaving Black as the sole observer in Satoshi’s quest for the third badge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To quote a certain fire breathing lizard: I HAVE RISEN!
> 
> Thank you all for your patience. I never realized how starting a new job was so hard and energy consuming. Anyways, without further ado, here's the next part.

The sun shone brightly over the rooftops and streets of Castelia City as Satoshi and Black made their way through the city to the gym. After sleeping the entire morning away, Satoshi’s energy had returned and he woke up just after noon, eager to get his gym challenge underway.

He got Black to accompany him, but when they also tried to get White out of bed, she nearly smacked Satoshi in the face when he tried to shake her awake.

So with White adamantly refusing to get up and Satoshi raring to go for his next badge, the two boys decided to leave the PokeCenter by themselves.

With Black navigating them, they reached a wide path lined with bushes and trees which led straight to a large building that took up the entire block. It shined pink in the sunlight with a vine pattern.

Satoshi stared at the large gym in awe for a few moments before checking with Pikachu on his shoulder and Black and Bijou next to him. “You ready?”

His companions nodded and together they walked through the glass doors and along the path to the back of the building. Each room was filled with plants in all corners and spaces. In the last room, they found Arti sitting on a branch feeding a Sewaddle.

Satoshi waved up at him, “Hi Arti!”

Arti gave a wave back and jumped off the tree, “Satoshi! Hi! And… Black! Where is your sister?”

“She is sleeping,” said Black quietly, hugging Bijou closer to his chest.

Arti blinked in surprised, “Well okay then.”

“Arti, how are the Venipede doing?” Satoshi inquired.

“They settled down sometime during the night,” said Arti. He gave them a grateful smile, “I heard it was thanks to you guys that all the pokemon were able to go home.”

Satoshi scratched his head sheepishly, “Ah it was nothing. It was the right thing to do.” 

Arti nodded in acceptance, “But you didn’t come here to talk about the Venipede right? We can finally have that gym battle you were hoping for.”

Satoshi and Pikachu both brightened, “Yes!”

 

* * *

As soon as the door closed, White listened for the footsteps to fade away before closing her eyes again and letting out a long breath. After the night they had stopping both Team Plasma and Team Rocket, she needed a break and some time to herself.

She had also been so afraid that Black would get angry at her for bringing Manna, but she supposed that after what they went through, her dear paranoid brother had understood the need for the additional help. She could breathe again after being worried about her decision since the beginning. 

Almost an hour after Satoshi and Black left, she left the room they all shared in the pokecenter to wander down the streets of the bustling city. She stopped for a moment, letting the feeling of freedom and fresh air wash over her. There were no expectations, no threats, and no worries to contend with now and she was able to walk with a light spring in her step.

White found a nice café at the end of the next block with a view of the busy harbor and the water beyond it. She got some tea and cookies before sitting down at a table on the edge of the patio.

“Whew,” White breathed out loud, stretching her arms and relaxing.

She was finally feeling at peace.

“So this is where you are,” a familiar voice suddenly rang out behind her.

 

* * *

Black watched as Arti sent out his first pokemon: a Dwebble, and then wondered what strategy Satoshi will go for this time. He had no pokemon who would be particularly effective…

“Tepig, you’re up!” Satoshi announced, throwing his pokeball. The little fire-pig appeared pawing at the ground and raring to go.

“Just like the last two gym battles huh?” Black said to Bijou who nodded emphatically. Satoshi started with Tepig each time, putting his trust in the little fire pig pokemon.

However, Arti’s Dwebble moved quite fast and Tepig had a tough time landing any of his attacks.

Then Satoshi had Tepig use Flame Charge for a counterattack, but Dwebble blocked it with Protect. Tepig bounced off the blue coloured shield and landed just a few feet away. And within range.

Arti went ahead and pressed his advantage, “Use Rock Wrecker!”

His Dwebble put up its claws and formed a huge rock between the pincers. It then pushed the boulder forward and it crashed straight into the Tepig, knocking the pokemon out.

Black mused that using Rock Wrecker at such close range made it dodge it more difficult that it usually would. Arti's strategic move worked out really well in addition to being a super-effective move against Tepig.

But now Satoshi was down one pokemon in this three-on-three match and was unable to damage Arti's first one at all.

He and Bijou exchanged concerned glances, “I’m glad White wasn’t here to see Tepig go down like that,” he remarked.

 

* * *

White spun around in her chair.

“Bel!” She exclaimed upon seeing the blond girl standing in front of her, hands on her hips.

“Hello White, I’m glad you remember me,” Bel said teasingly. She took a seat across the table.

“Okay yeah, I deserved that one,” said White sheepishly.

“Professor Juniper told me everything so I understand why you couldn’t tell me when you were leaving, but you could’ve called.” Bel scolded, adjusting her glasses.

“I wasn’t sure if I should bother you when you’re on field research!” White protested, “And well… everything has been happening so fast, I’m sorry, it just slipped my mind.”

“Sounds like you’ve been having quite an adventure,” said Bel, taking pity on her friend. “You need to tell me all about it!”

“Sure, but Bel… what are you doing in Castelia?” White asked, confused.

 

* * *

Satoshi sent out his Sewaddle as his second pokemon and Black was curious to see how his newest pokemon would fair. He remembered the little bug pokemon who was precocious and energetic back in Pinwheel Forest.

Arti also fondly remembered the Sewaddle, having had his Leavanny weave the leaf bonnet around its head and with a soft spot for the little bug in general.

Here in battle, Sewaddle was as fast and relentless as its personality. It avoided Dwebble’s attacks by using its string to launch itself around, and had long range attacks for attacking back.

At one point, Sewaddle almost fell prey to the same tactic as Tepig but was able to dodge the Rock Wrecker again with its string.

“It is an unusual strategy for an ordinary move,” Black remarked after seeing how often Satoshi relied on the move to escape an attack.

“Osha osha,” Bijou commented wistfully. I wish I could do that.

Then Sewaddle caught the next Rock Wrecker with its string, swung it with all of its might, and then managed to knock the Dwebble from its rock shell. The tide of the battle instantly changed in that moment.

“Satoshi!” Black called out, surprising everyone, and Satoshi immediately understood: It was time to go on the offensive.

He got Sewaddle to use Razor Leaf to hit relentlessly at the unprotected little bug, and when the dust settled, the Dwebble was knocked out.

Arti sighed and returned his Dwebble, “That was a good strategy, Satoshi. You two make a great team.”

“Thank you,” Satoshi said, and his Sewaddle puffed up in pride.

“Your Sewaddle is quite admirable, but… this is a gym battle and here is my next pokemon,” Arti threw another pokeball and out popped out… something round and purple.

Black took one look and said, “It’s a Whirlipede.”

“Whirlipede?” Satoshi took out his pokedex to scan the new pokemon.

_Whirlipede, the Curlipede Pokemon and the evolved form of Venipede. Whirlipede can spin its hard shelled body like a tire to smash into opponents._

“Are you ready to continue?” Satoshi asked his Sewaddle and the little bug nodded confidently.

Arti made the first move, “Use Poison Sting!”

“Sewaddle, dodge that!” And with another shot of sticky string, Sewaddle was away and the battle commenced.

But it soon became clear that Whirlipede was a lot stronger. All of Sewaddle’s attacks were batted away as Whirlipede spun dangerously sharp and Steamrolled all over the little bug.

“Now finish it,” said Arti, “Solar Beam!”

The Whirlipede charged up with power from the sun streaming through the glass ceilings and let loose a blast of heated energy directly at Sewaddle. 

 

* * *

There was a light blush on Bel's cheeks as she answered sheepishly, “Actually, when Professor Juniper got back to the lab, she forgot some equipment at the PokeCenter here so she sent me to get them. She also told me if I hurried, you guys could still be here.”

“Yeah, Satoshi should be challenging the gym right now,” said White as she checked the time on her Xtransceiver.

“And you left your brother with him?” Bel asked in shock, “He’s okay with pokemon battles and gym matches now?”

White nodded, “It’s hard to explain but Satoshi has this way with pokemon that Black really approves of. He is even participating in battles now; nothing official of course.”

Bel looked excited, “Wow, you were right then! I have to meet this Satoshi sometime and thank him.”

“Why don’t you come with me to meet up with them at the gym?”

Bel shook her head, “I’m sorry, I’m supposed to return to the lab as quickly as possible since Professor Juniper really needs this equipment. I thought I would just drop by to say hi but I wasn’t expecting to find only you.”

“Ah well,” White shrugged, knowing that pokemon research can be critical work. “Next time then… when you have time off.”

“Yeah,” Bel stood up and slung her bag over her shoulders. “I’ll call you when I can get away?”

White nodded and downed the rest of her tea.

As Bel made to walk away, she turned back.

“Oh, by the way, the Professor was really panicking when she saw Manna’s pokeball was missing.”

White blinked, and then rubbed her head with a nervous smile, “Oops… I guess I really messed that one up then.”

Bel let out a tinkling laugh, “Oh you. Never change!”

As her childhood friend walked away, White couldn’t help but think that in all their years of knowing each other, Bel was the one who really changed.

 

* * *

Satoshi watched in horror as Sewaddle took the powerful grass move head on. When the light energy began to fade, another light grew stronger, encircling Sewaddle once more.

Everyone quickly realized that this light was different. Sewaddle was evolving! 

When the light faded, a small round green pokemon standing on two flappy feet appeared in Sewaddle’s place. Two leafy antennae stuck out on the top of its head.

“Who is that pokemon?” Satoshi wondered, pulling out his trusted pokedex.

_Swadloon, the Leaf-wrapped Pokemon and the evolved form of Sewaddle. Swadloon’s body is covered in leaves which protect it from the cold. In forests where Swadloon live, the trees and grass grow very well._

“Sewaddle evolved into a Swadloon! Wow!” Satoshi exclaimed, happy with his newly evolved pokemon.

“Ah, another pokemon that is dear to my heart! The pure-hearted nature of a Swadloon with its beautiful leaves encasing it!” Arti said rapturously.

“Let's continue this then Arti?” Satoshi asked the bug-user with a devious look. 

“We shall,” said Arti, turning serious again, knowing this was his duty as a gym leader.

“Satoshi is doing just fine isn’t he?” Black asked Bijou as he rubbed her head and the Oshawott made a happy noise. They watched as the newly evolved Swadloon had more than enough power to counter Whirlipede’s deadly spins, and finally knocked it with a well-aimed Tackle.

“Whirlipede is out!” The referee called. “Swadloon is the winner!”

Now Arti was down to his last pokemon and, as Black figured, it was his signature partner: Leavanny, the guardian of the Castelia Gym.

Leavanny, also the evolved form of Swadloon, was definitely stronger than Swadloon. Despite some creativity on Satoshi’s part to use Razor Leaf to cut his own strings, Swadloon was eventually overwhelmed by Leavanny’s powerful moves, Leaf Storm and Hyper Beam.

Satoshi was down to his last pokemon, and instead of going with anyone else, he decided to go with his best partner: Pikachu.

The doors to the gym suddenly opened and White entered, joining the sidelines next to her brother.

“Hey! What did I miss?” She casually asked, taking in the new match-up of Pikachu versus Leavanny.

“Well they’re both down to their last pokemon,” said Black, “and Satoshi’s Sewaddle evolved into Swadloon.”

“What?!” White exclaimed, “I missed an evolution?”

They watched as Pikachu lost his speed and even his aim when Leavanny’s String Shot tied his tail to himself. The electric mouse began to struggle in the battle and Satoshi scrambled to think of what to do next.

That reminded Black of what Satoshi did earlier and he said, “Satoshi had Swadloon use Razor Leaf on itself to cut the strings.”

White gasped, “That must have hurt, but it worked right?”

In that moment, Pikachu dove in spinning into the Leaf Storm and used the leaves to cut the strings.

“Really, Satoshi is good at making on the fly strategies but they also give me such a fright,” White commented and Black completely agreed with her.

“Perhaps it is part of the trust his pokemon have in him,” said Black with consideration. “I like making interesting strategies but Satoshi spins one out of nowhere so quickly and somehow they work.”

 “Osha!” Bijou added. It’s amazing and looks fun!

White smiled in triumph as Pikachu finally took down Leavanny with an Electroball. Just before they went to join their friend in celebrating his new badge, she enigmatically added, “He inspires both of us doesn’t he?”

“Hey Black! White! I got my Insect Badge!” Satoshi said excitedly, showing off the green and gold badge. He was accompanied by his cheering team of Tepig, Swadloon, and Pikachu.

White jumped in joy as she excitedly asked Satoshi for a recap of what she missed, while Black went towards the pokemon to let Bijou celebrate with them.

“I’m happy to be on this journey and watching all of you battle with such joy,” he said to each of them with a small smile. “I truly am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original -> Dub  
> Bel = Bianca
> 
> \- When I went back to review how this gym battle went down in the anime… wow the whole thing was a mess and I had the horrifying realization that I was tasked with fixing it somehow! Where to even start… Arti was a great gym leader and great personality but it felt like he ran hot and cold through the whole match  
> \- I feel like with Arti, the way the canon set him up meant they were going to show or do more with him, but because of the retcon this episode became just a complete confusing mess and they left their acquaintance with him on such an abrupt departure… and there was no mention of the Venipede; all of this made me feel sad about the potential wasted  
> \- The best part of this episode was just how cute Sewaddle was and it was also so sad it only lasted for one battle  
> \- Another interesting fact is that this is the second time Satoshi has lost to a Dwebble. I love Dwebble. (What do you mean this is biased? Do the math!)  
> \- Anyways, comparing BW Satoshi vs XY Satoshi, BW Satoshi is way more manic and just wow, I never noticed that the first time I watched this series… that’s not all that important but it was interesting to note
> 
> Satoshi’s Swadloon is revealed to know Tackle, String Shot, Energy Ball, Razor Leaf

**Author's Note:**

> All characters have their names in Japanese with the exception of the Professors (and of course Black and White themselves).  
> All pokemon use their english names with the exception of Emolga = Emonga simply because Emonga sounds better. 
> 
> The region itself uses Unova instead of Isshu.
> 
>  


End file.
